


Memory Transit

by kunabee



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, General Dark and Heavy Subject Matter, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, POV Third Person, Present Tense, Spoilers, Suicidal Tendencies, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-05-29 06:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 66,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6362770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunabee/pseuds/kunabee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ORIGINAL VERSION; UNFINISHED</p><p>When Frisk fell down the hole, they thought they'd die.  They were a burden.  They were tired of life.  They were ready to sleep.  But here, in the Underground, they're slowly beginning to realize the legends of monsters are true.  That's not at the top of  their list of problems, though.  A crazy homicidal flower and a murderous voice in their head top that list.  Even worse?  They're remembering things.  Memories they shouldn't have.  Memories that don't belong to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fallen Down

**Author's Note:**

> hahaha so this is my first fanfiction, EVER. I have no idea what I'm doing. I have written other things before so, there's that. I would not advise reading unless you've finished the game at least once, but you probably have if you're reading fanfiction? so.  
> Fair warning I am crap at remembering to stay within neutral-gender pronouns, so if you spot a screw up with that please tell me. I am terrible at names and genders and birthdays to the point where I screw up with myself, so please bear with me and feel free to eternally correct me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw playing undertale at the same time of writing because dialogue. also, pro tip: don't turn away from the game and write when a bullet hell is about to begin, even Toriel. you will die. it got me like two or three times.

They lie still, for a while.  They don't want to open their eyes.  Opening their eyes means they have to deal with what happened.  They know they aren't dead because they feel sore all over and if they were dead, they wouldn't feel sore.  But they do, which means it didn't work.  They have to face that fact, no matter how much it sucks.  So they brace themselves, take a deep breath, and open their eyes.  Golden flowers wave at them, moving back and forth in a slow, hypnotic motion.  Flowers - they know flowers.  They've made a hundred, a thousand flower crowns.  These flowers - it looks like they can make a crown out of them.  So they sit up, slowly, careful not to crush any more flowers.  Their hands are methodical, the motion familiar to them.  They always ran off to the wildflower field when they could, hiding away from everyone else.  So here they have flowers, and they craft the same thing they have so many times before.  They have time to think.

They don't know where they are.  They are down, deep in the mountain where people go to disappear.  They wanted to disappear.  They found this hole, tiny though it was, and even when using their loudest voice (admittedly, it still wasn't very loud, but still) nothing echoed.  They couldn't hear the rock drop.  So they jumped, hoping and hoping that they would be ended.  It was not to be, though, because for some reason the flowers were soft and didn't let them die.

Good that they're killing the flowers, then.  In and under and over and out, next flower.  It's the pattern they always use, and they really can't muster up much anger.  They never could.  They're just not an angry sort of person; they get filled with sadness, a whole pitcher of tears always brimming at the edge and ready to overflow into gross sobbing.  They hate when they cry.  Crying is never good and it never helps, anyway.  But they cry a lot still because they always feel sad.

They finish the flower crown before they finish their thoughts, and look it over skeptically.  It's good enough.  They plop it on their head, and on unsteady and still sore legs they stand up.  There's only one way to go, and that way is  _forward_.  They don't want to.  But they need to.  They're not dead so they might as well keep moving.

They go forward, stepping into a room, where they're greeted by... a flower with a face?  They blink, and rub their eyes, not believing what they're seeing.  But no, the flower is still there, no matter how much rubbing and blinking they do.

"Still sleepy?" the flower asks in a cheery-bright voice, "Boy, were you out for a long time - hey, did you fall with that?"  It stretches one leaf towards them, pointing out their flower crown.  They shake their head.  The flower suddenly seems annoyed.  "So you wasted time making that after waking up?  Jeez, what an  _idiot_."  It widens its eyes a little, before plastering on a smile.  They can tell the smile's fake, though - they've seen far too many fake smiles to be fooled by the flower's silly attempt at one.

"Anyway!  I'm Flowey.  Flowey the flower!  You're new to the underground, aren'tcha?  Golly, you must be so confused.  Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!  I guess little old me will have to do.  Ready?  Here we go!"

Things shifted, suddenly.  Changed.  Something burned in their chest, and before them they saw a red heart.  It glowed so bright, they were hypnotized.  Flowey kept talking.  "See that heart?  That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!  Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."  They wanted to ask what "el vee" was, but the flower was already continuing.  It seemed like Flowey almost... predicted their question.  Which was silly because it was a very predictable question and they realized they were being silly.  Still, it was so strange here...

"What's LV stand for?  Why, LOVE, of course!  You want some LOVE, don't you?  Don't worry, I'll share some with you!  Down here, LOVE is shared through little white... friendliness pellets."  Flowey summoned them to demonstrate.  The pellets looked like plain beads, not very impressive or friendly.  They stood very still, but at the last second they moved away from the friendliness pellets.  Flowey looked at them with an irritated look again - or, more accurately, a look that expressed sentiments that they were too dumb to live.

"Hey buddy, you missed them," he said, "Let's try again, okay?"  This time, they closed their eyes and didn't move.  It - it hurt!  They gasped in pain, falling to their knees.  They opened their eyes to see a twisted expression on Flowey's face.

"You  _idiot_.  In this world, it's kill or BE killed.  Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this!? "  Flowey's friendliness pellets circled them, and they closed their eyes tight again.  He laughed and they shook, so very scared.

The laughter was cut short. "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth..." Slowly, they cracked one eye open, and then the other. They were kneeling in front of... of a goat-lady. She had such a soft, gentle smile. But even with the gentle smile, they were afraid of her. Her smile didn't falter, not for a moment, and she wasn't angry. Just... sad. "Do not be afraid, my child," said the goat woman, "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down.  You are the first human to come here in a long time."

They start sniffling, and Toriel pauses.  "Oh, my child."  She offers a hand for them to take.  "Come, I will guide you through the catacombs."  Shakingly, the child reaches for Toriel's hand.  The goat woman smiles at them and turns.  "This way," she beckons.  Even though her hand is so big, so much larger than theirs, they know they can free themselves of her grip at any time.

They have to stop after only a little bit of moving forward, though.  It's sudden, but they stop and stare at the entrance in front of them.  It's so big.  Something moves in their soul as they stare, an emotion that's strange and unfamiliar to them.  A kind of emotion... to keep going on.  An emotion almost like determination.  Toriel looks at them with worry.  "My child?"

They shake their head, pulling themselves away from their reverie, and turn to Toriel.  Something of them lingers in that spot, though.  They know it, even if they can't put words to it.  They follow Toriel up the stairs and into the room, where she stops them.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one."  New home?  That didn't make sense.  Surely they could leave, right?  Did they even want to leave, though?  "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins."  Toriel steps forward, and they can't help but follow her.  She steps on one plate, and they jump on it once she moves to the next one.  They follow her, hopping on the pressure plates that Toriel has already pressed down, before Toriel goes to a switch and pulls it.  Toriel turns back to them and smiles.

"The Ruins are full of puzzles," she explains, "Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys.  One must solve them to move from room to room.  Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."  Toriel moved on ahead of them this time, which left them time to explore.

They move to look at a sign.  It is old stone, crumbling at the edges, and the words are hard to make out.  They were never a good reader in the first place, but between that and how old the sign is it's nearly impossible for them to make out the words.  "Only the fearless may proceed" -  _what does proceed mean?_   they wonder, briefly - "Brave ones, foolish ones.  Both walk not the middle road."  They look back at the plates that Toriel had stepped on.  Wait... they never went - to the 'middle road'!  Only the pressure plates on the outside were stepped on.  They feel proud of themselves for figuring that out.  These puzzles don't seem difficult at all.

They hear Toriel call for them, and rush on ahead.  Toriel has her hands clasped in front of her, the epitome of patience.  She begins to explain the puzzle, as the child steps forward to read the next sign.  They don't fully hear Toriel, instead working their slow way through the words on the sign.  All it says is "stay on the path".  They suppose they can do that.

Looking around, they realize they don't see Toriel where she was before!  It takes them a moment, but then they realize she just moved forward.  She's waiting for them so patiently, and guilt tugs at their stomach.  They rush up to Toriel.

"The first switch is over on the wall," she says gently.  They stare at the floor as they follow the path up to the switch, bumping their head on the wall.  They don't make a sound  - it didn't really hurt - and just reach up, up, up to pull the switch.  "Splendid!" comes Toriel's gentle voice, "I am proud of you, little one."  The next switch they go to right away.  They don't even need the marks Toriel has made on the wall - it's easy to remember to stay on the path and pull that switch instead of the other one.

Toriel guides them to the next room and tells them about how monsters may attack them.  "That sounds scary," they tell Toriel.  Toriel smiles gently at them.

"Do not worry, my child.  All you will need to do is strike up a friendly conversation.  It might be startling, as your SOUL will be summoned as you enter a fight, but I will come soon enough to resolve the conflict.  You can practice talking to the dummy."

The child goes up to the dummy and stares at them.  They feel their SOUL - gently, softly - being pulled from their chest.  The red heart glows its brilliant light.  They stare for a long time at the dummy, not really sure what to say.  Toriel waits for them, letting them come to their own conclusions.

"Um, I like books.  Do you?  I'm not very good at reading them, but I like looking at pictures."  They feel kind of silly, but Toriel is happy, and that's what matters.

"Very good!  You are very good," the goat woman tells them.  Her voice sounds odd, filled with some sort of ache, and they look at her worriedly.  She smiles at them and even if it's a little forced, it's still honest.  "I am fine, my child.  Do not worry about me.  Let's go on - the next room has another puzzle that I would like you to try and solve on your own."  She waits for them to lead, this time.  They do, entering the next room and looking at the path on the floor.  The path ends, which they find strange.  That's when a frog-like creature jumps out in front of them.  Their SOUL hovers with its brilliant, sharp red and thoroughly distracts them.  After a brief while, their attentions turned back to the frog.  Toriel said to talk, so... "I, uh, I think you have very nice legs," they say, and the frog monster seems pleased with that.  Toriel glares at them, and both the frog and the child notice Toriel.  The frog hurries away, scared of her. The child would be scared too - look at that glare!  For someone so soft and kind she can be very frightening.

"That monster is called a Froggit," Toriel explains, her gaze softening as soon as it turns back to them.  "Come, let us continue."  They head forward, reaching a sign.  This must tell them about the puzzle.  There's a lot of long words here.  Everything is faded, and even though they crane their neck up and even reach up and stand on their tippy-toes they're struggling.

"Do you need some help reading this, my child?" Toriel asks after a little while.  They nod, and Toriel recites, "The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.  Do you know what a blueprint is?"  At the shake of their head, she explains, "A blueprint is sort of like instructions for a building.  In this case, the western room has the instructions for the eastern room."   That makes sense, they think, and move on.  They turn around half a corner, and see spikes they'll have to walk through.  They don't know which spikes will fold down, except for the previous room....  That looks scary...

Toriel seems to change her mind about them solving the puzzle.  She grabs the child's hand and leads them forward.  She is careful with how they step, checking constantly on the child behind her.  At the end of the spikes, Toriel says, "Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now."  She isn't quite looking at them, so they squeeze her big paw gently and she turns her gaze on them again.  She smiles, and, holding hands again, they move on.

At the next room, Toriel lets go of their hand and takes one medium-sized step back.  "You have done excellently thus far, my child," she tells them, "However... I have a difficult request to ask of you."  Oh, no.  They're worried now.  She continues, not knowing their inner thoughts, "I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself.  Forgive me for this."  With that, she scurries off, practically disappearing.

They don't understand why Toriel said it was difficult.  This is easy!  They're on their own a lot anyway.  They walk confidently, with an eye out for any monsters.  Nobody comes, though.  They walk in a careful straight path, looking around.  It's pretty here, in the Ruins.  They like it.  After some time, they come to a pillar, and Toriel steps out.  They smile at her, and she smiles back.

"Greetings, my child," Toriel says, "Do not worry, I did not leave you.  I was merely behind this pillar the whole time."  Well, yes, they assumed that.  They didn't like being talked down to.  They didn't feel very stupid.  "Thank you for trusting me."  They feel bad about their thoughts.  Of course Toriel didn't think they were stupid, she was just reassuring them.  "However, there was an important reason for this exercise."  Their eyes find the goat woman's face again, widening.  "...to test your independence.  I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while."  They're used to being alone.  They don't mind.  "Please remain here.  It's dangerous to explore by yourself."  They frown.  That's too risky - she might not come back!

"I have an idea," Toriel says suddenly, "I will give you a CELL PHONE.  If you have a need for anything, just call.  Be good, alright?"  And with that... Toriel is gone.  They look at the cell phone she gave them.  It's old and nothing like the cell phones they see their parents or peers using.    They call Toriel and ask her about herself.

"Well, I am afraid there is not much to say," she says, half-laughing, over the phone, "I am just a silly little lady who worries too much!"  Little is not a word they would use to describe Toriel.  The child looks forward.  Toriel may never come back.  They should explore.  So they step forward, into the next room.

There's a Froggit beside them!  They jump away immediately, staring.  But the Froggit only ribbits at them.  A voice tickles at the back of their head.   _Do you need help understanding it?_ the voice asks.  They nod, without thinking, and the Froggit thinks they nodded at it.  They ask the Froggit to repeat himself, which confuses him.  But he repeats himself anyway.

"Ribbit," says the Froggit, while the voice in their head says,  _Excuse me, human.  I have some advice for you about battling monsters._  Oh, good!  Maybe it's so they don't have to?  The voice continues,  _If you ACT a certain way, or FIGHT until you almost defeat them... They might not want to battle you anymore._  Oh.  So there's no way around fighting.  They sigh sadly.  The Froggit ribbits and the voice translates.   _If a monster does not want to fight you, please... Use some MERCY, human._

The Froggit turns away again, and their eyes travel to the room behind the Froggit.  After their eyes, their feet follow.  Inside the room is a bowl of candy.  'Take one' is there in a sign in a bowl.  They reach in and take a single piece of candy.   _You could take more,_ the voice says.  They ignore it and go back into the main room.

They look at the leaves, longingly.  It couldn't hurt to play, right?  They jump in the leaf pile, and roll around in them, and wonder who the voice is.   _Who I am isn't important,_ the voice tells them,  _I suppose you could call me Chara.  If you must._  They nod, laying in the leaves still.

"My name is Frisk," they say aloud.  The Froggit looks at them, confused, as the voice sneers.   _You can just **think** at me,_ they inform Frisk.  The child rolls around in the leaves for a response.  They don't like how arrogant Chara is.  They wish they had a friendlier voice.   _Well, too bad.  You got me,_ Chara says snottily.  They imagine sticking their tongue out at the voice, and the voice just laughs.  Hmph!  They go back to playing in the leaves.

After a little while, they get up from the pile.  There are leaves all caught in their hair and they giggle as they pull the leaves out, smiling.  That's fun!  They skip into the next room, and like before they feel a little bit like something is of themselves is left behind them.

In the next room, they fall into a hole.  There wasn't a hole there before!  They roll onto their back to stare at the hole before they finally get up and move forward.  There's a ladder that they climb up, and then they move on.  This room has a sign and a rock and spikes.  They don't like the spikes.  They go to read the sign.  Chara tells them what it says before they can even start reading.  They are annoyed - they can read, dangit!   _Too bad,_ Chara tells them,  _You take **forever** to read things._

Their phone rings, and they jump and fumble for it, before putting it by their ear.  It's Toriel!

"For no reason in particular... which do you prefer?  Cinnamon or butterscotch?"  They tell Toriel they like both equally.  "Oh, I see.  Thank you very much!"  She hangs up the phone then, and they look at the rock.  Looks like there's a path to push it on... They push the rock, bracing themselves to struggle with it, but it isn't really hard at all!  The rock hits a pressure plate, and with a loud noise the spikes retreat.  They cautiously cross over where the spikes used to be, stepping with care.  They make it safely across and rush into the next room.

It seems empty, and they walk ahead... only to fall in a hole.  Ow.  There's a sign here too, that says "don't step on the leaves".  On the floor below, there are a lot of leaves... They memorize the pattern, carefully committing it to memory, and move on.  There's a ladder back up above.  This time they follow the path that doesn't fall on the leaves, easily making it to the other side.  The voice seems impressed, and they're proud of that.

The next room has three rocks in it.  Ahead of the rocks are some more spikes.  Well, they know how to do this!  They go to push one of the rocks, only for the rock to talk to them!  "WOAH there, pardner!" it says.  They jump back, startled.  Chara laughs in their head as they stare at the rock.  "Who said you could push me around?"  They shook their head and shrugged.  And then, in their politest voice, they ask the rock to move to the pressure plate.  They point.  "Hmm, so you're ASKIN' me to move over?  Okay, just for you, pumpkin."  The rock moves, and they go and push the other two rocks to their pressure plates.  But then the rock moves back!

They go back to the rock.  "Oh, you want me to stay there?  You're giving me a real workout."  This time, Frisk is able to get past to the next room.  Well - not quite.  They practically stumble into a monster that's crying and scared.   _A Whimsum,_ Chara helpfully supplies.  They begin to comfort the monster, but the Whimsum runs away.  They frown worriedly, and Chara mocks them.  They move on.

This next room has a mousehole in it.  Frisk leans down next to the mousehole, and the mouse squeaks at them.  They smile.

On the other side of the room is a table with cheese.  They go to pick it up, only to find it stuck to the table.  They look to the mousehole, and then to the table.  Something stirs within them, the emotion they've felt twice before.   _Determined_.  And as they leave the room, another little piece of them lingers here.

Right after the mouse hole... there's a ghost.  They stare for a moment, unsure, before finally walking up to the ghost.  This ghost just pretends to snore, saying 'z' out loud repeatedly.  It's not very convincing.  They look at the ghost dubiously.  They clear their throat once, twice.  The ghost keeps snoring.   _Hit it,_ Chara sneers.  They shake their head, and gently poke it.  Finally the ghost looks at them.  They feel their SOUL being pulled from their chest, a bright red and hypnotic glow.

Chara says, " _This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humor._ "  As if they can hear the voice in Frisk's head, the ghost says, "oh, i'm REAL funny."  Can they hear Chara?  Even the voice seems shocked that they respond.

Frisk smiles patiently, awkwardly at the ghost.  They seem to cheer up a little.  So Frisk tries again, they tell a little joke.  "What's a chicken's favorite food?  BWAK-olli."  That seems to earn them a little laugh, and they puff their chest out proudly.  Finally, the ghost shows them something.  Their tears cry upwards, and form... a hat!  "i call it 'dapper blook'.... do you.... like it?"  Frisk nods eagerly.  They love it!

"oh gee...."  The human's SOUL returns to their chest, the fight ending without them hurt.  "i usually come to the ruins because there's nobody around.... but today i met somebody nice.... ...oh, i'm rambling again... i'll get out of your way..."

"Wait!  What's your name?" Frisk asks.  The ghost looks at them. "oh.... i'm napstablook..."  Finally, they simply fade... that must be them leaving.  Frisk smiles, and moves forward.  Just beyond where Napstablook was is a fork in the road.  They look both directions before heading straight on.  It's a dead-end room with a sign and some webs and spiders.  They begin to read the sign, but Chara jumps ahead and reads it for them.

 _Spider bake sale.  All proceeds go to real spiders.  How lame,_ the voice says,  _Let's move on._  The human shakes their head, though, and moves to a web.  There, they look at the gold they have.  It's not much, but it's just enough.  They give the seven gold for a spider donut, and receive it.  They put it in their inventory.   _Gross,_ Chara tells them, but they ignore them and go back to the other direction.

Right away there's another sign.   _It's just about the spider bakesale again,_ Chara tells them,  _Let's move on._  So they do; there's a Froggit next to the sign.

The Froggit says at them, then says, "Ribbit".  Chara begins to translate.   _My friend never listens to me.  Whenever I talk, they skip through my words.  That's right...  Ugh, how pathetic!_  They wish they could glare at Chara.  The Froggit ribbits again, and Chara tells them,  _Well, at least you listen to me._  The voice keeps laughing at the Froggit.  Frisk wishes they would stop.

The next Froggit wonders what "f4" stands for.   _Four frogs?_  Chara translates,  _I have only seen a maximum of three frogs in this room.  This is troubling, to say the least._  Frisk can hear their snort.   _The Froggit is blind,_ the voice complains,  _I mean, the Froggit may be tiny, but there's a small one up there.  Up **there** , Frisk, in that crack in the wall in the corner - there, you see it?_  They sound pleased with their self as Frisk spots the Froggit in the crack in the wall.

There's one last Froggit to talk to.   _I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human.  Surely you know by now there is a pattern for when you can SPARE a monster.  Remember, sparing is just saying you won't fight.  Maybe one day, you'll have to SPARE a monster repeatedly, when they keep attacking._   Chara pauses at that.  Frisk keeps going, even as Chara speaks up.

_Yeah, what's **with** that?  Look, I'm not falling for your goodie-two-shoes shtick.  Why do you keep sparing monsters?  Why do you keep being  **nice**?  You're a human.  Humans are evil._

"No we're not," Frisk says aloud.  Chara just mocks them for speaking up.  Their phone rings, startling them, and they answer it.

"Hello?" Toriel says, "I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up.  I was not expecting to have company so soon.  There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there.  You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need.  Someday you might see something you really like.  You will want to leave room in your pockets for that."  They thank Toriel for the advice, and then hang up.  They can practically feel the voice rolling their eyes again and again.

The next monster they run into, Chara tells them it's a Moldsmal.   _Just squish it,_ Chara suggests.  They don't.  Instead, they wiggle like the Moldsmal, giggling before bidding the creature good-bye.  Chara is practically fuming at this human child who refuses to be mean.

The next room has another sign.  Chara reads it for them again.  This time they get mad and stomp their foot.  "Stop it!" they snap, "I can read on my own!"   _Only slowly!_ Chara retorts,  _You take too long!_  Then let them take too long, dangit!  Let them READ on their OWN!  They can, they can, they can!  And if they don't practice they never learn!   _Fine, I'll just shut up,_ Chara tells them.  They think that's very good!

Fuming, they sigh and brace themselves to fall.  Lots of holes in this floor, to find their way to the one switch.  The first hole they find has something in it.  They go to pull it out of the ground - it looks like a vegetable - and it attacks!

Frisk tries to talk.  The monster says, "Plants Can't Talk Dummy."  They want to respond, but they have to dodge strange white bullets.  Shaped like vegetables.  They get hit repeatedly - it  _hurts_.  Chara seems exasperated, and they beg Chara for help.

 _Fine,_ Chara says, annoyed,  _That's a Vegetoid.  Try asking for some food._  Frisk pats their stomach and smiles, even though they hurt.  The Vegetoid throws a green plant-shaped bullet at them.  It... it heals them!  They feel better.

"Eat Your Greens," Vegetoid says, before disapearing underground.  Frisk sighs in relief, and lays there for a while.  Chara is quiet, and they're grateful.  They still hurt.  They reach into their pocket and pull out the monster candy from earlier.  They eat it, sighing happily.  It tastes wonderful!

Finally they get up and move on to the next hole.  Inside of the hole they find a faded ribbon.  They reach  out to touch it, and suddenly their head is pounding and something is wrong wrong wrong  **wrong**...

_She sits there waiting in the hole, humming to herself.  She found out from a nice monster that she is the sixth human Toriel has taken care of.  All the others have **died**.  That's fine.  She won't die.  If they have died, well, she'll just kill whoever hurts her.  Even though her knife is a toy, she reaches out and stabs the attacking Vegetoid.  It collapses into dust.  Her ribbon falls out of her hair, but she doesn't notice as she climbs up.  The Vegetoid never sees it coming._

Frisk flies back from the ribbon, gasping.  Such hate, such anger, such  **bitterness** \- and the little girl in Frisk's vision is - was? - even younger than Frisk!  It hurts to feel such hate.  Chara is stunned - Frisk can tell Chara saw it too.

 _We should keep moving,_ the voice says.  But this time it isn't angry or sassy.  It's just quiet and scared.  Frisk picks up the ribbon, flinching as they touch it.  No more visions and memories of other people come to them.  They put it in their pocket, climb up the latter, and fall into the next hole.

This hole has the switch, and they pull it.  But they're still curious.  Chara says nothing either way, so they fall into the next hole.  Hey - there's Napstablook!  They approach Napstablook excitedly, smiling brightly at their new friend.   _One conversation doesn't make you friends,_ Chara says, irritated.

"i fell down a hole... now i cant get up... go on without me..."  Frisk points to the ladder as Chara says  _You can fly, idiot_.  "wait... ghosts can fly, can't they... oh well..."  Napstablook flies away, and Frisk waves cheerfully before moving on.

Only two more holes left!  They fall down one.  In this one, another monster is waiting.   _That's a Loox,_ Chara tells them,  _Looxes are whiny crybabies so everyone teases them._  Frisk makes a point not to tease them.  Loox seems to smile as he says, "Finally someone gets it!"  It's another friend to Frisk's name, and they can't stop smiling now as they climb up the next ladder.  Just one last hole.  They can't wait.

There's another Vegetoid in this one, and Frisk easily is able to befriend it - just ask for food and the Vegetoid heals them a little more.  They skip into the nex troom, and go up to the sign.  Chara starts to read it, but finally just says,  _Tell me if you need me to read it to you._

The child reads it slowly, but they can read it.  "The far door is not an exit.  It simply marks a rotation in perspective."  They wonder what perspective means; Chara tells them it means point of view.  They move on.  The next room has a sign.  "If you can read this, press the blue switch," it says, and Frisk finds it easily.

The next three rooms are the same, with different colors of switches to press.  They make it through pretty easily.  They have to fight a battle, though - a Loox, Vegetoid, and a new bug-like monster all gang up on them.  Loox is teasing them.  Chara tells them that the bug-like monster is a Migosp.  Frisk befriends the Vegetoid first, and then the Loox.  When those two are befriended they leave.  Migosp sighs in relief and stops attacking once the other two are gone.  Happily, Frisk is able to leave.  They hope they don't run into another group like that.

The next room is a long tunnel with a fork in the road.  They keep heading straight instead of turning, and run into another Froggit.  "Ribbit," he says, as Chara translates.   _Just between you and me... I saw Toriel come out of here a little while ago.  She was carrying some groceries.  I didn't ask what they were for... We're all too intimidated to talk to her._

Chara seems pleased, and though the human child wonders why the voice won't say anything.  The child exits onto a balcony.  There are stairs down to the city, and even though it's the Ruins there are a lot of monsters.  Frisk stares for a moment, before looking around.

There's a toy knife on the floor.  They stare, remembering the ribbon.  The temptation is too great.  They touch it.

_She stabs and she stabs, angry now.  They keep coming, going towards the Ruins city.  So she waits and she stabs them.  She is tired of this.  Even as Toriel comes, stares at all the dust, pleads "My child, why?" she stabs.  Toriel throws a fireball at her.  It knocks the knife away.  She grabs the child's hands.  The child fights.  She pulls away.  She falls off the balcony.  When she lands, she is killed by the impact.  Toriel breaks into sobs._

Frisk stares at the knife, and looks around.  The dust isn't there anymore.  They pick the knife up and chuck it far, far away.  They run back to the fork in the road, run along the path to an old, dead, black tree where they hear Toriel's voice.

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would," she says.  She begins to call Frisk, but stops as she hears Frisk's ringtone.  She smiles at them.  "How did you get here, my child?  Are you hurt?"  Frisk shakes their head and she smiles.  "I should not have left you alone for so long.  It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this."  Her smile is replaced by shock "Err... Well..."  The smile comes back, bigger this time.  "I suppose I cannot hide it any longer.  Come, small one!"  She rushes off.  Behind the tree is a house.

It's a pleasant house, and Frisk can't help but smile at it.  The feeling... the determination... comes back.  As they walk inside, a little bit of their self lingers behind them.

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asks as soon as they come inside.  "Surprise!  It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie.  I thought we might celebrate your arrival.  I want you to have a nice time living here.  So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."  They make a face at that, and Toriel laughs.  "Do not worry, my child.  If you try it and do not like it, you do not have to eat it.  I will simply make something else for you."  She smiles at them.  Well - having to try it isn't so nice, but at least she won't make them eat it.  "Here, I have another surprise for you."

Toriel heads down the hall and stands in front of a door.  "This is it... A room of your own.  I hope you like it!"  She rubs Frisk's head and they stare at the door.  It seems like Toriel is prepared for them to stay there.  They feel a little disappointed, but really, they don't mind.  This is more than they deserve.  Toriel jumps suddenly and turns around.

"Is something burning...?  Um, make yourself at home!"  Toriel runs off, and they go into their room.

It's a nice and homely place.  A little bed.  Some toys they aren't really interested in.  A box of shoes in all different sizes.  A wardrobe with clothes also in all different sizes.  It's a nice room, really, and Frisk likes it.  They leave and walk down the hall.  They pass two doors, one which has a sign.  The child stops to read the sign.  "Room under renovations" it says simply, and they frown and try to open the door.  It's locked, so they move to the room next to it.

This room is a simple room.  There's an open book on the table.  They start to read it before realizing it's a diary.  Of course, it's just filled with jokes - "Why did the skeleton want a friend?  Because she was feeling BONELY" - but it's still an invasion of privacy.  The child leaves the room.

The voice mocks them.   _Scared of getting in trouble?_ they tease  _Or are you just too wimpy to do anything on your own?  Need help reading again?_  They stomp their foot in the hallway and tell the voice to shut up.  They feel the impression of Chara rolling their eyes.

The room beside the entrance has Toriel reading a book in a big chair.  They look around.  Toriel looks up and smiles at them.  This room is nice.  There's a table with two big chairs and one small chair - a chair perfect for their size.  They sit down, thinking of Goldilocks and finding a chair 'just right'.  They hop back up again and wander into the kitchen.

There's a sweet-smelling pie on the counter.  Butterscotch-cinnamon!  They lean on the edge of the counter, poking the pie with a finger.  Oh.  It's too hot to eat.  They turn away, disappointed, and explore the rest of the kitchen.  It seems like an ordinary kitchen, except the stove is far too clean for a human kitchen and things seem very monster-themed.  Frisk thinks they like the kitchen.

They go back down to Toriel, who is still reading.  "Hello there, little one!" she says happily, "The pie has not cooled down yet."  They nod; they saw that for themselves.  "Perhaps you should take a nap."  Frisk thinks.  They ARE very tired... They agree to take a nap.

"Sweet dreams," Toriel says, and pats their head.  They go to their room and turn off the light before crawling in bed.  This is all so much more than they deserve, and they never want to leave.  They're happy here.  They've never felt like they have belonged before.  And already they made some friends!

 _One conversation doesn't make friends,_ Chara sneers.  They roll on their side and try to ignore them.   _Seriously.  Friends hang out, you know?  And all those monsters wanted to_ kill you.

They pull the covers over their head and fall into a fitful sleep.

 

YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF HUMANS AND MONSTERS

WAKE UP.

DON'T GIVE UP.

STAY DETERMINED.

_Buttercups and cups of butter. Stabbing. Monster dust. Fire. Death, death. Always more death._ y o u f a i l e d _Over and over again. It hurts. They must go. They want to stay. Everything is wrong. Death. Dust on their hands. Dust in their SOUL. Toriel smiles at them. She's killed by a human that's not them. More dust. Buttercups. Golden flowers. Such lovely... golden... flowers..._

Frisk wakes with a start from feverish nightmares.  They can see a slice of pie on the floor, and they go and pick it up.  They want to save it, so they go to the kitchen.  They wrap it up carefully in plastic wrap and then put it in a baggie, leaving the plate it was on in the sink.  Then they go back to Toriel.

They want to stay here.  They want to stay with her.  But they know they can't.  So they tug on her skirt, and she smiles at them.  "I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here.  There are so many old books I want to share.  I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot.  I've also prepared a curriculum for your education."  They interrupt Toriel to ask what curriculum means.  "Oh!  It's sort of... like a long-term schedule for classes to learn.  This may come as a surprise to you, but I have always wanted to be a teacher.  ...actually, perhaps that isn't very surprising.  STILL.  I am glad to have you living here.  Oh, did you want something?  What is it?"

Frisk frowns.  They shake their head, wave their hand.  Wander off.  They pace.  They don't want to leave.  They crawl back into bed, but they can't sleep. All they can hear is, YOU CANNOT GIVE UP JUST YET

. All they can see is dust.

They go to Toriel and they ask her how to leave.  "...I have to do something.  Stay here," she says.  They don't stay - they follow her.  She doesn't look at them as they follow her.

"You wish to know how to return 'home', do you not?" she says.  Not really, but they don't say anything.  "Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins.  A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground.  I am going to destroy it.  No one will ever be able to leave again.  Now be a good child and go upstairs."  She moves forward.  They follow her.

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate," Toriel says, "I have seen it again and again.  They come.  They leave.  They die.  You naive child... If you leave the Ruins... They... Asgore... will kill you."  Frisk freezes.

 _Asgore will kill you if you leave the ruins._  This isn't their memory, this isn't what Toriel is telling them.  It's another human child, another one.  The one from before.  The one who stabbed.  Of course they were afraid, of course they went insane.  They realize they've fallen behind, and rush ahead to keep following Toriel.  She continues.

"Do not try to stop me."  That's exactly what Frisk has planned.  It's what they need to do.  They need to stop Toriel from destroying the exit.  They need to keep moving forward.  Or else they'll go crazy like the child whose ribbon they still have in their pocket.  "This is your final warning."  Toriel moves forward.  Frisk follows.

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph..."  Toriel can't look at them, even as she turns around.  "You are just like the others.  There is only one solution to this.  Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

Their SOUL glows bright, red-hot, hovering just in front of their chest.  Fireballs fly all around them, and they cry out.  They try to dodge, but the fire hits them again and again.  After a while, however, the fire doesn't hit them.  Toriel still has fireballs, everywhere, but the fireballs don't hit.  They sigh in relief.

 _Fight her,_ Chara urges.   _Fight her, it's what she wants.  Fight her.  Prove you're strong enough._ Prove you're as vicious as all the other humans. _Fight her, kill her!_ DO IT.

Frisk doesn't move.  They beg, they plead with Toriel.  When that doesn't move her, they just sit there.  They refuse to fight.  "What are you doing?" Toriel demands of them, when they go quiet, "Attack or run away!"  She shakes her head, upset.  "What are you proving this way?  Fight me or leave!  Stop it."  Frisk looks up at her.

What are they proving?  That they are strong enough.  That they won't fight.  That they will overcome Asgore peacefully.  "Stop looking at me that way."  They don't.  They put their determined gaze on Toriel and make her look at them.  "Go away!" Toriel cries.  They stay sitting.  It takes a while.  But Toriel takes a deep breath.  She looks at them.

"I know you want to go home, but... But please... go upstairs now.  I promise I will take good care of you here.  I know we do not have much, but... We can have a good life here."  She smiles a small, sad smile.  Frisk doesn't move, just looking at her.  She continues.

"Why are you making this so difficult?"  They can't help but think Toriel is the one making it difficult.  "Please, go upstairs."  She laughs, bitterly, then.  "Pathetic, is it not?  I cannot save even a single child.  ...No, I understand.  You would just be unhappy trapped down here."  Frisk wonders if she's thinking of the child they saw in their visions.  "The Ruins are very small once you get used to them.  It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this.  My expectations... my loneliness... my fear... For you, my child... I will put them aside.  If you truly wish to leave the Ruins, I will not stop you."

The child's soul returns to their chest, and Toriel kneels in front of them.  "However, when you leave... Please do not come back.  I hope you understand."  They don't understand, not really, but they don't say anything.  Toriel hugs them tightly.

"Before you go, would you like another slice of pie?"  They nod, and show her the slice they got before.  It's slightly squished, but it's mostly fine and it's bound to still taste nice.  She smiles that sad smile of hers.  "A slice for later.  And one to eat right now?"  They nod.  The two go upstairs together, hand-in-hand.  Toriel gives them another slice of pie, and they eat it slowly.

They look at Toriel as they get ready to leave.  Toriel gives them yet another sad smile.  "Do not worry about me.  Someone has to take care of the flowers.  Goodbye, my child."

Frisk goes back the long stairs and opens the door.  They look behind them one last time, and then step out of the Ruins.  The take barely three steps before a familiar flower greets them.

"Clever.  Verrrrrryyy clever," Flowey snorts, "You think you're really smart, don't you?  In this world, it's kill or be killed."  He smiles.  They aren't fooled by the innocent facade.  "So you were able to play by your own rules.  You spared the life of a single person."  Flowey's face contorts into something terrible and terrifying.  He giggles wickedly.  "I bet you feel really great."  This face is arrogant and hateful.  "You didn't kill anybody this time."  He smiles again.  "But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?  You'll die and you'll die and you'll die.  Until you tire of trying."  He's gleeful, now.  "What will you do then?  Will you kill out of frustration?  Or will you give up entirely on this world... and let ME inherit the power to control it?"  His face is a smile now, a grin that's evil and malicious.  The faces he can make terrify them.  Even Chara is quiet.  "I am the prince of this world's future.  Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide.  This is SO much more interesting."  He laughs then, a terrible grating laugh, before retreating underground.

Frisk runs forward then, stumbling out and falling into... snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the intro is long and oh my gosh everyone knows it. I am so sorry it will start getting more original next chapter and less in-game text dumps. Also, exploring Toriel's room is my favorite. I love the comments there.


	2. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the skeleton brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took me so long, sometimes writing is hard work and goes very slowly and then How Do I Word Things? and yeah.

The snow is cold and the air is quiet. They aren't sure why there's snow underground, but here they are. They look around - they almost have this feeling of being watched... Oh, there's something in the bushes, over there. They look. There's a camera. They tap the camera and kneel down, peering into it.

Well, they can't stay here forever.  They get up and start walking forward.  Oh, it's cold.  They're shivering, their breath making puffs into the air.  They step over a branch, carefully.  A few steps later they hear a crunch; turning around, the branch is now broken.  It was too big to pick up.  It was too big to move.  Their eyes widen a little and they walk faster.  What was that...?  Just a rush of air passing them.

They come to a small bridge over a chasm.  There's an arch above it.  Wait, no, bars.  Bars that they can easily pass through.  They hear footsteps behind them.  They freeze, and now they aren't just chilled and shivering from the air.  The footsteps stop.

"H u m a n.  D o n ' t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l ?  T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d."

Frisk turns.  They reach out, slowly, carefully.  A loud sound splits the air.  They jump, staring, their heart feeling like it's about to beat out of their chest.  In front of them is a short, smiling skeleton.

"heheh... the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick.  it's **always**  funny."  They glare at him, and he shrugs, still grinning.  "anyways, you're a human, right?  that's hilarious."  Frisk wonders what's so funny about it.  "i'm sans.  sans the skeleton.  i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now."  ...How is that 'hilarious'?  They look at him nervously, taking a step back.  "but... y'know... i don't really care about capturing anybody.  now my brother, papyrus... he's a human-hunting **fanatic**.  hey, actually, i think that's him over there. "  They look over their shoulder.  They don't see anyone.  "i have an idea.  go through this gate thingy.  yeah, go right through.  my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."  Frisk heads through, and the skeleton follows them.  there's a lamp, for some reason.

"quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."  Frisk ducks behind it as a tall skeleton enters.  They made it just in time!

"sup, bro?" Sans says.

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" the tall skeleton yells.  Frisk cringes.  He's so loud!  "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T... RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?

"staring at this lamp. it's really cool. do you wanna look?" From behind the lamp, they glare at Sans. What is he doing?! They don't want to be caught. Papyrus just seems to get annoyed.

"NO!! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!?!" They hold themselves perfectly still at that and close their eyes. They hope Papyrus doesn't see them. They really hope.

"I WANT TO BE READY!!! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN! THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT... RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, 'FRIEND?' I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING." It takes all of Frisk's willpower not to start giggling. That's terribly silly, they think, and they can't help but smile even as they resist the giggles bubbling up. Chara agrees with them about it being silly.

"hmm... maybe this lamp will help you," Sans suggests. The giggles die down. Chara rages in their head. _That no-good two-faced liar!_ they shriek. Frisk cringes again, leaning against the lamp carefully.

"SANS!! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!! YOU LAZYBONES!!" Frisk sighs in relief. "ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE!" What an extensive vocabulary. What does boondoggle mean? Chara, surprisingly, doesn't have an answer. They feel slightly smug, but then feel guilty for feeling smug, and decide to focus on the conversation. "YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!!"

Sans hasn't stopped grinning for the whole exchange. They wonder if Sans can do anything **but** grin. " hey, take it easy. I've gotten a ton of work done today. a skele-ton." Chara seems disgusted by the pun, but Frisk has to clasp their hands over their mouth and breathe really hard to not laugh. They find it hilarious. Chara is disgusted by that fact. They think Chara needs to get over themselves because they aren't that cool.

Papyrus is so shocked he just stares at Sans. "SANS!!!" he scolds. But he's smiling. Sans just grins back at him.

"come on. you're smiling."

Papyrus groans. "I AM AND I HATE IT!" He sighs. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION?"

Sans sees another chance and takes it. "wow, sounds like you're really working yourself... down to the bone." He winks and Frisk holds back more laughter.

This time, though, Papyrus is thoroughly appalled. "UGH!!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, 'BACKBONE' INTO IT!" Papyrus turns around and runs off. "NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" he cackles as he leaves.

"okay, you can come out now," Sans says. Frisk comes out and looks around, before going up to Sans. They're still shivering, and even their almost-laughter can't take away the cold. Sans frowns at them.

"here," he says, handing them his jacket, "you need this more than i do. you oughta get going. he might come back. and if he does... you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes." Sans winks. Frisk giggles, and then walks forward. He calls out, suddenly. "actually, hey... hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?" Frisk turns around, curious. _Oh no,_ Chara says, annoyed, _We're not going to do anything that punny idiot says._ They refrain from pointing out the voice's unintentional pun and instead focus on Sans.

"i was thinking... my brother's been kind of down lately... he's never seen a human before. and seeing you might just make his day. don't worry, he's not dangerous. even if he tries to be. thanks a million. i'll be up ahead." Sans walks the other direction. They wonder how he can be up ahead if he's going back towards the door, but they shrug and move on.

 _He could be lying, you know,_ Chara says. They know.  But for now, they will trust him.  They feel determined.  The lamp was perfectly shaped for them.  Papyrus didn't look at the lamp.  And maybe Sans knows what he's doing.  A little piece of them stays behind as they walk forward.

There's a box by the path, with a sign.  Frisk looks nervously at the sign; there's a lot of words.  It will take them a while to read it... Chara sighs dramatically and begins to read.   _This is a box.  You can put an item inside or take an item out.  The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back.  Sincerely, a box lover._  They reach for the box and open it as they mentally thank Chara.

Inside is an old glove.  It's pink leather, hardened, with metal studs on the knuckles.  They know exactly what this is - it's another thing to give them visions, like the ribbon and the knife.  But they pick it up anyway, bracing themselves for a flash to a past that's not their own.

_He hugs Toriel tightly.  "I'm gonna miss ya, Miss Tori.  Thank you for taking such good care of me."  He can feel Toriel sniffing as she hugs back.  He hopes she's proud of him.  After a long time, he breaks the hug.  "After I get out, 'm gonna find the last human SOULs from, like, dyin' people in the hospital and free you all."  He turns and leaves, sad but hopeful.  He takes one last look at the Ruins before he moves forward._

_It isn't long before he runs into a young monster.  "Human!" they cry, and even though he's wearing his glove he holds his hands up.  "I'm friendly," he promises them.  They attack him, but he laughs and fights back without any ill intent.  His hit doesn't really harm them.  He may be young too - only 12 - but he knows what fear can do.  The monster warms up to him and admires his glove after they finish sparring.  He looks at it, and then at the monster, before nodding and handing it to them.  "Here, you can have it."_

_"Really?!" they squeal excitedly, "Pink's my favorite color."  He smiles back at them.  "Mine too."_

That vision wasn't nearly as bad as the ribbon girl.  Frisk refers to her as the ribbon girl because any other trait they know about is too hard and too scary.  Chara approves of their choice.  They're tempted to keep the glove, but the note said the box would show up later.  So they don't take the glove out and put the ribbon in. After a little bit of hesitation, they put the butterscotch pie in too.  They wish it was the same way it was when fresh, but it still isn't much more than a little squished and when Frisk puts their nose to it they can smell the cinnamon.  With that taken care of, they're ready to move on.

It's not long on the path before they run into Sans and Papyrus again. The brothers don't notice them right away. Sans has a different jacket on. They wonder how many jackets he has. "SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE, " Papyrus begins, before he notices them. He does a double take, before turning back and forth so quickly that Frisk has to close their eyes to keep from getting dizzy. His voice lowers, but it's still a very loud whisper and they can hear him clearly.

"SANS!! Oh My God!! Is That... A HUMAN!?!?!??!?!" he exclaims. Sans lazily looks over, his gaze just behind them. They turn to where he's looking; there's a rock just behind them. They hold back giggles; they think they know where this is going...

"uhhh... actually, I think that's a rock." They start giggling. Papyrus sounds terribly disappointed as he sighs. Sans's grin seems to grow as he continues. "but hey, what's that in front of the rock?"

Papyrus's excitement is even greater than before. "OH MY GOD!!! Is... Is That The Human?" At Sans's confirmation, Papyrus nearly starts vibrating with excitement. "OH MY GOD!!! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!!" He pauses, suddenly, and gives you a strange look.

"WHY SANS, THEY HAVE A JACKET JUST LIKE YOURS! WOW!!! IT EVEN HAS STAINS IN THE SAME PLACES AS YOURS! ...WAIT A MINUTE, YOU'RE WEARING A DIFFERENT JACKET! SANS, DID YOU GIVE THE HUMAN YOUR JACKET?!" Papyrus stares at Sans, shocked. "WHY?!"

"well paps, they looked a little... _chilled to the bone_. " Sans shrugs, but he's grinning as Papyrus groans. The human child starts giggling.

"IS NOW REALLY THE TIME, SANS?! LOOK, THEY'RE LAUGHING AT YOUR TERRIBLE PUN!! YOU'RE RUBBING OFF ON THE HUMAN!" Sans shrugs at Papyrus's complaints. "IF THEY'RE COLD WE SHOULD HELP THEM GET WARM! WE SHOULD DO THE PUZZLES ALL TOGETHER! THAT WAY, WE WILL GET TO SNOWDIN VERY QUICKLY, AND THEY CAN TAKE OFF YOUR DISGUSTING, UNWASHED JACKET AND WEAR SOMETHING NICER!" They nod eagerly at this, rushing up to the skeleton brothers even as Chara scolds them. They reach for Papyrus's hand. He seems a little shocked, but then takes it. His red glove engulfs their tiny fingers.

"COME, HUMAN. LET US HURRY TO SNOWDIN TOWN!" He begins to lead them.

With skeletons, Frisk is able to look at the monsters out in the forest. None of them attack the human, since they have accompaniment, but they're able to meet everyone. There's a teenager named Snowdrake who appears to want to be in the pun-telling business, too.

"Better not snowflake out!" he declares goofily as Frisk begins to leave. They giggle, even though it's much worse than Sans's puns. Still, Snowdrake is trying his best and they can't fault him for that.

Then there's Ice Cap, who has an awesome hat. Frisk can't help but admire it. Papyrus actually has to pull them away, because Ice Cap would strut all day if given the opportunity.

Doggo is another sentry, and he can only see things that are moving. Frisk does a silly little dance for him, and then pets him. He also smokes dog treats, which they find weird, but they don't say anything about it (it's rude!) Even though he's a monster, he's also a dog, and he seems very happy to be pet. Papyrus tells the child to hurry and Chara echoes his sentiments. But there's so many things to see and do!

During their journey, Papyrus and Sans get into an argument. "YOU'RE SO LAZY," Papyrus complains, "YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!" Sans shrugs.

"i think that's called... 'sleeping'," Sans points out. Papyrus complains some more about it, and the human giggles. Finally, Papyrus stops them.

"THERE'S AN ELECTRIC MAZE HERE," Papyrus explains. He pulls out a gray orb before continuing. "THIS ORB WILL SHOCK YOU IF YOU TOUCH THE WALLS. SO, WE MUST ALL BE VERY CAREFUL. THAT'S OKAY THOUGH, I HAVE THE PATH MEMORIZED!" He strides forward confidently, with heavy footsteps. Frisk follows him, and Sans follows them. They keep their arms pulled in tight, and twice Chara teases them with _oh no you'll run into the wall!_ but they're proud of themselves because they don't jump. It's a very short maze, and nobody gets shocked. They grin at Papyrus and take his hand again.

They find a rabbit monster selling 'Nice Cream', which is ice cream with cute little sayings on the wrappers. Papyrus buys them one, and then buys one for himself and his brother. Frisk looks at their wrapper and smiles - it's a drawing of a hug. They focus on it very, very hard.

 _...Are you... trying to hug me...?_ " Chara asks. Frisk nods at nothing, but luckily Papyrus and Sans don't seem to notice. Chara snorts. _How dumb. You're weird, kid._ Even though they sound annoyed and above it all, Frisk can tell Chara appreciates it, and that makes them smile as they enjoy their ice cream.

They pass what seems to be a snow golf course, or something like that. Papyrus won't let them play, but Sans shows them a snowdecahedron. Papyrus groans about his brother's pun, but Frisk giggles. They think the snowdecahedron is cool and tell the skeleton brothers as such.

The brothers have an argument about crosswords versus Junior Jumble. Frisk admits they find both difficult and tell the brothers they can't read very well. "OH!" Papyrus exclaims, "WELL THEN, I'LL JUST HELP YOU READ! AND EVENTUALLY YOU WILL GET BETTER! AND THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ ALMOST AS WELL AS ME!" They thank Papyrus for his offer, smiling at him. He's funny and kind and they like him, even if he's loud..

They run into a monster called "Lesser Dog" on their way to Snowdin Town. Frisk pets the dog, giggling. His neck keeps stretching, and stretching, and stretching. Papyrus freaks out about it. Sans keeps making puns, which makes Papyrus annoyed.

"YOU MUST STOP PETTING THE DOG, HUMAN!!! I DON'T THINK THIS IS HEALTHY FOR EITHER OF YOU!!!" Papyrus shrieks as they keep petting and petting.

"aw, let them pet l.d. i don't think he's had this much fun in a _long_ time," Sans says.

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING, SANS!!!"

 _You may have a problem,_ Chara notes, amused.

Either way, the three of them eventually manage to convince the child to stop petting the dog and keep going. It doesn't help when the child gives a violent shiver and sneezes. The dog lets Frisk hug him one more time, and they wave as they leave.

The group comes across an unplugged microwave, a note, and a plate of spaghetti. The spaghetti is frozen solid, and even frozen to the table. Frisk tries to pull it off, and fails. They stare at it, disappointed. They wanted to try the spaghetti.

"DON'T WORRY, HUMAN!" Papyrus declares in his loud voice, "I WILL MAKE YOU SOME OF MY AMAZING SPAGHETTI WHEN WE GET HOME!!" They can't believe how nice the skeleton is being to them. He's as nice to them as Toriel. Everyone here is so _nice_. They find themselves sniffling, rubbing at their eyes. Papyrus seems taken aback.

"WORRY NOT, HUMAN! DID I NOT JUST PROMISE TO MAKE YOU SOME OF MY SPAGHETTI?" Papyrus exclaims. They shake their head. "IS THAT NOT... WHY YOU ARE CYRING?" At their nod, Papyrus continues. "OH. THEN WHY ARE YOU CRYING, HUMAN? YOU, TOO, CAN BE AS GREAT AS I AM!!! SO YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT!" They just squeeze him in a tight hug, suddenly, and he seems taken by surprise before hugging them back.

"COME, HUMAN! WE'D BETTER HURRY. YOUR SKIN FEELS COLD EVEN IN SANS'S JACKET, AND I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE HIS JACKET SMELLS TERRIBLE! WHEN WE GET HOME WE CAN MAKE SOME SPAGHETTI!! AND WRAP YOU UP IN BLANKETS! IT WILL BE LIKE A SLEEPOVER!" They nod and wipe away their tears, returning their tiny hand to Papyrus's gloved one.

They run into a trap. A wall that won't come down without pulling the switch. Papyrus grumbles as he hunts for it, and Frisk helps. Together, they eventually find it. Passing the trap, they run into two dogs. It's a dog couple - _warning, dog marriage_ Chara says, which confuses them but then Chara explains that it was on a sign they passed - that Frisk learns to be Dogamy and Dogeressa. They pet them excitedly, and Papyrus worries that they'll be there even LONGER than they were with Lesser Dog. Sans mentions that it's a pun, unintentional as it is, but either way these dogs are much more serious and it's much easier to convince the human child to say good-bye to the dogs.

They pass by a few inert puzzles - "IT'S NOT SET UP SINCE WE'RE TRAVELLING WITH YOU, HUMAN!" Papyrus declares - before running into another dog. Chara groans as Frisk goes to pet him.

The dog is piloting a giant suit of armor, yet they manage to reach up and pet the dog. And the dog falls asleep! And then the dog wakes up! And they throw a snowball. He gathers up a bunch of snow and rolls it towards them. They build a snowman! Frisk forgets all about being cold.

That is, until they are left shivering, huddling up in Sans's jacket. The dog licks them and whines, worriedly. "OH NO! WE NEED TO GET THEM TO SNOWDIN, RIGHT NOW! THEY'RE TOO COLD!" Papyrus picks Frisk up and jogs the rest of the way. Across a rickety bridge and into town. He keeps jogging, all the way to a house where he sets Frisk down on a lumpy couch. Frisk sneezes as Papyrus gets rid of the jacket. "HERE, HUMAN! LET ME GET YOU SOME BLANKETS AND TISSUES!"

"already got tissues, bro. just go grab the blankets." Frisk frowns at Sans. He was behind them, and now he is here...? Sans just grins enigmatically and sets the tissues by them. "here you go, kid. we'll get ya warmed up in no time. kind of silly to play in the snow when you're already chilly, huh?" They look embarrassed, and his grin just goes wider. Papyrus comes back with blankets.

"HERE YOU ARE, HUMAN!!! WE WILL MAKE YOU A BLANKET NEST, AND THEN YOU WILL BE WARM!! NYEH HEH HEH! NOW THEN, I'M GOING TO MAKE US ALL SOME CELEBRATORY SPAGHETTI!!" Papyrus leaves into a room they assume is the kitchen. Wrapped up in blankets on a lumpy couch, they realize how tired they are. Soon they doze off, and then they fall asleep...

"hey kid. wake up." Sans shakes the child awake, and they blink at him before yawning and sitting up, rubbing at their eyes. "k paps, they're up. bring out the spaghetti"

With a flair, Papyrus steps out. He's wearing an old paper that says 'KISS THE COOK' and he holds a large plate of spaghetti. It looks... okay. But not entirely like normal spaghetti. Still, it _smells_ really good and Frisk's mouth waters. " I PRESENT TO YOU... FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI!!! IN HONOR OF OUR FRIENDSHIP!!!" Papyrus gives the human the spaghetti, and Frisk dives right in.

...They've had worse. Much worse, in fact. It's not good, though. Somewhere along the lines of 'edible' and 'tolerable'. So they shove it in with big forkfuls, Papyrus beaming. "I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY SPAGHETTI, HUMAN!!" Papyrus cheers. They smile at him and give a thumbs up before returning to shoving food in their mouth. Papyrus and Sans get their own spaghetti.

Sans's spaghetti disappears in pieces when nobody is looking. It's really suspicious, but they don't say anything about it. They know they have low standards of food - Chara's complaining.

 _Oh god,_ Chara says, _I can taste this. It tastes like someone mixed glitter with slime and then formed it into weird noodle-shaped garbage. It tastes like tentacles. Oh god. The sauce tastes like_ pee _, Frisk. How are you eating this?_ It's really not that bad, Frisk informs them, and it does **not** taste like pee. Pee tastes... sort of salty. It's weird.

 _How do you know what pee tastes like?!_ Chara demands. Well, when you're thirsty enough... _Okay, nevermind. Eat your gross spaghetti._

But by then they've finished the spaghetti. Papyrus offers them more, but they shake their head. They actually don't feel one hundred percent, urp... But this isn't anything they haven't dealt with before. So Frisk smiles and ignores it. Eventually, they watch a TV show.

There's some sort of robot on it, a glamorous robot who does things Frisk finds very silly. They fall asleep on the couch, leaning on Papyrus. They feel... safe. And happy. And good. Their dreams, however, are anything but.

_"C'mon, please. I don't want to fight you," the boy begs, "Just let me pass. I'm goin' to Asgore, anyway."_

_"I can't trust that," the monster replies, throwing another attack at the child. He dodges out of the way, staring. He misses his glove, but he knows it went to a good home. Not like the rest of him. His SOUL shines bright orange in front of him, brave and true. He'll keep moving. He'll wear the monster down. And then he'll be okay._

" _I don't_  mind _stayin' down here. I'll live 'til I'm old and then Mr. Dreemurr can have my SOUL."_

_"Don't call him that!" the monster cries. This attack hits, but it doesn't kill him. He's hopeful - monsters have more powerful attacks when they want to kill._

_"C'mon, please. Neither of us_ want _to fight. Let's not," he pleads with the monster. He's distracted by something behind him. The attack hits. The monster rushes over and picks up his bandana before calling the guards. The kid will be honored. He was a good kid._

Frisk wakes up in the middle of the night. Neither of the skeletons are there on the couch with them, they're alone. They're also afraid. Sans seems to come from nowhere.

"hey kid, wanna go to Grillby's?" the skeleton asks. They nod, wordlessly, and wrap a blanket around themselves. Sans takes their hand, and they step outside the door...

...only to step inside a restaurant. They look around, confused. It's the middle of the night, so there are only a couple of people there. They greet Sans as he heads up to the counter, and he greets them back. He sits down, and Frisk sits next to them.

"had trouble sleeping, huh kid? yeah, me too. do you want burgers or fries? kid, that's not a yes or no question. you don't care? how about two orders of fries, then, grillbz. ketchup? more for me, then." Sans takes the lid off of the ketchup and drinks it. they blink in surprise, but then turn to their fries.

 _These fries... Frisk, we could_ live _on these. Oh man, they are GOOD._ Frisk giggles at Chara, which has Sans give them an odd look. Their fries are gone sooner than they expect. At their sad puppy-dog eyes and empty plate, Sans offers, " want mine, kiddo?" They grab his fries and start to eat those too. He just chuckles.

Sans takes them back to his house. They don't dream for the rest of the night. In the morning, they are awoken by Papyrus.

"GOOD MORNING, HUMAN!! I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'D LIKE TO HANG OUT WITH ME!! I CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY HOUSE!!" he declares. Frisk agrees. The child explores every inch of the house with Papyrus, who happily plays tour guide. When it's all over, they tell Papyrus that they're ready to move on. They want to go all the way to the capital, to Asgore.

"WELL, HUMAN, HERE'S MY NUMBER! OH! AND I CAN GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS! ALL YOU NEED TO DO... IS HEAD STRAIGHT DOWN THE CAVERN! AND THEN TO THE KING'S CASTLE!! WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE SOME SPAGHETTI WITH YOU ON YOUR TRIP?" At the human's nod, Papyrus hands them a Tupperware bowl with spaghetti in it. They leave, happy. Once they're out of the house, Sans shows up again.

"here. i know my bro's spaghetti isn't the best, so i picked you up a cinnamon bun." He sets it on top of their Tupperware. "consider it breakfast." They thank him enthusiastically.

As they leave Snowdin, they run into another box. They open it up - the things they put in there before are still there! They add the spaghetti to the box, but before they can get very far they find something in the ground.

It's a yellow bandana with abs drawn on it. The bandana they saw in their vision. They close their eyes as they touch it, braced for another vision.

_"I don't care that you're a human, I want to be friends. You're nice to me."_

_The human boy looks embarrassed at the words. "Aw, shucks, kid. I like you too. But I gotta get to Asgore, y'know? I don't want ya'll trapped underground forever. And I have a shorter lifespan anyways too. So I'll just... live 'til I die nice 'n' old."_

_"But that's all the way in New Home!" the monster complains._

_"'Ey, you'll have my glove to remember me by," he points out, "And I'll come visit, anyways."_

Frisk blinks back tears as they tuck the bandana quickly into the box. _What a wimp,_ Chara sneers as they move on. Time to go through Waterfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eventually the glove ends up lost and someone puts it in the box. i feel like this is important to mention, that the monster the human gave it to lost it and was not the one to put it in the box. also can you tell i love the bone bros? xD


	3. Wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> waterfall is the prettiest place ok. also i feel like this is the longest chapter so far. AND everything gets moved around to create a more consistant narrative so like. have fun i guess? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Frisk passes by Sans, sitting at a sentry station.

...They're very confused, but they just give him a puzzled look before they move on.  In the next room, there's another box.  This one has a sign next to it.  They look nervously at the sign.  Chara begins,  _This is a box_ but they stop the voice from continuing.  Slowly but surely they make their way through the sign, with Chara's help.  They feel very proud of themselves.  Chara thinks it's dumb for being proud of something everyone should know, but they ignore them and keep walking.  They get all wet as they pass through a river - and then they see something!  They tuck behind the waterfall flowing down and find a tutu.  Oh no, another vision.

They take a deep breath and reach for it nervously.  Chara tells them to stop, but... they just... they just  _need_ to.  They feel like these visions are important.   _Fine, then_.  They know Chara's upset and annoyed but they grab the tutu quickly, holding it close to themselves.

 _She had just experienced the greatest day of her life.  She had been so successful!  And a nighttime picnic with her boyfriend?  That sounded great.  She didn't expect him to run off, though.  She didn't expect him to_ leave her there _, on the mountain and still in her recital clothes.  It was cold and dark.  So she tried to find her way home._

_And then she fell.  Down, down, down.  Toriel was kind; the goat woman had even given her some clothes to bundle up in as she traversed through Snowdin.  Now, however, she was free of the jacket.  She carried her shoes, the guilt eating at her._

_The monster had attacked_ her _, not the other way around.  It was self-defense.  Still, she felt bad.  The dust was just a reminder of how she had used the ballet shoes as a weapon.  She didn't leave them behind, though.  Instead, she worked her way out of her pink tutu and kicked it away.  She'd leave it here.  She wasn't a ballerina anymore.  She was a murderer._

The memories are changing.  They are getting more and more detailed, and more and more out of order.  But they're glad the visions hadn't happened with this much detail and repetition until they had passed the plastic knife.  Even if this girl had killed, the vision let Frisk know it was one monster.  And an accident, in self-defense.  Chara just claims the human was weak, but Frisk is getting used to Chara's tendency towards violence.  They're grateful Chara can't take control of their body.

 _I could,_ Chara tells them,  _I could and then you'd kill and you'd kill and you'd kill_.  But Frisk disagrees with that, they say that Chara  _can't_ , and then the voice doesn't try.  So they move on, past the waterfall and river.  They're wet.

They move forward, into a shadowy area of the cavern.  There are some tall fronds they walk into, and they hear Papyrus's voice.  They freeze, staying as still as they can.  They can hear... another voice.  But they can't make out what the voice is saying.

"H... HI, UNDYNE! I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT! UHHH... REGARDING THAT HUMAN I CALLED YOU ABOUT EARLIER..." Wait, when did Papyrus have time to make a call? _When we were asleep, you idiot, or before we met up with him,_ Chara snaps. Frisk thinks that comment is uncalled for and rude. Chara doesn't care. "... HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM? Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY! " They're worried for Papyrus, now. He seems scared, especially since he's lying. It seems so out of character for him... "...WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM...? W-W-WELL... NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END... I FAILED. ...W-WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE HUMAN'S SOUL YOURSELF... BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON'T H-HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE... YOU SEE..." Papyrus goes quiet, and the other voice talks. Finally, he says that he understands. "I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN," the skeleton offers. Frisk can hear him leave. They step forward.  The fronds rustle.

They hear heavy footsteps that aren't Papyruses, and look up.  They go still; a shadow falls over them.  Someone in full armor pulls out a magic spear.  They look down; Frisk crouches.  Finally, they step away, and as they do Frisk sighs in relief before rushing out of the fronds.

Suddenly, a monster child without arms rushes up to them from behind.  "Yo!" they say, "Did you see the way she was staring at you...?  That... was AWESOME!  I'm SOOO jealous!  What'd you do to get her attention...?  Ha ha.  C'mon!  Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!"  They rush forward and trip before pushing themselves back up.  Frisk can't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

Okay, so what if they have a female knight after them?  They can do this.   _My help is yours.  If you ever change your mind..._  No, they won't change their mind, Chara.  They'll be fine.  They appreciate the offer, though.  They'd just like to keep control over their body.   _Suit yourself._  Like a suit of armor.   _No.  No puns!_  They giggle as they trail behind the monster kid.

The next area widens out and isn't so shadowy.  But there's a big body of water.  And a sign.  They read it and look over at the pile of seeds.  Hmm... they line up four of them, and a bridge is formed!  Okay, that's super cool.

The next area seems to be an actual puzzle with bridge seeds.  They take their time, and Chara offers suggestions.  After they make it across, they run into a horse monster.  They flex at him, and he flexes back.  They have a competition, until the monster - Aaron - literally flexes himself away.  They stare, looking behind them - and wait, what's that in the corner?

They reset the puzzle using the switch and make a bridge in the other location.  They move around the corner... There's a bench and an echo flower.  They look over at the bench... and underneath it find an abandoned quiche.  They carry it with them - when they find a box they'll go ahead and put it in there.  And then they lean close to the echo flower.

"I just wasn't ready for the responsibility." it says.  What responsibility?  What's the story of this quiche?   _Questions we'll never answer,_ Chara replies,  _Now come on._  Frisk listens and they move on.

The next room is called the Wishing Room.  Chara doesn't even read the sign to know.  They listen to all the different echo flowers, which annoys Chara.  But they want to listen.  They want to learn and understand and experience.

In the middle of the room, they run into a monster called 'Woshua'.  A little bird sits on the monster.  Woshua sprays them, and they laugh and dance in the water, getting clean.  The monster is content, and they both wave and go on their way.

 There's a lot of boards over water here and lots of signs on the wall.  They begin to read the signs, and Chara helps them whenever they falter.

"The War of Humans and Monsters," Frisk says, "Why did the.. humans... attack?  In... indeed, it seemed that... they had note... nothing... to fear.  Humans are un... un..."   _unbelievably strong.  It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster..._  "...just to eq...equal the power of a single human SOUL."   _But humans have one weakness.  Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL._ "Its power allows it to per... per..."   _persist outside the human body,_ "even after death.  If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL."   _A monster with a human SOUL... a horrible beast with unfathomable power.  But the monster must share control with the human, and the human with the monster._

The final sign has an illustration on it, of a strange creature.   _A monster with a human SOUL,_ Chara explains.  Wel, that makes sense.  Reading is hard for them, they aren't stupid.  Chara has one more thing to say, though: _The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared._

They move forward, taking a small raft to go onwards.  The raft brings them to the other side, and then moves back.  They frown; is there something... UNDERNEATH the raft?

Well, nevermind.  The next room is filled with shadows.  They walk more slowly, nervous.  And there!  In the corner! ...Undyne, the lady-knight.  They start running, and magical spears are thrown at them.  Again and again and again.  But Frisk, Frisk is very good at dodging.  So they run into some fronds, only getting hit once - and the magic doesn't hurt them as badly as a real spear would - and Undyne follows.

They hide in a bunch of fronds.  Undyne is so close.  She reaches, she reaches...

But Undyne... the lady-knight pulls up the monster kid.  Their heart is pounding, they're going to get killed - but Undyne puts the kid back and walks away.  They sigh in relief and leave the fronds.  The monster kid is behind them, looking like they're about to explode from delight.

"Yo... did you see that!?  Undyne just... TOUCHED ME!  I'm never washing my face ever again...!  Man, are you unlucky.  If you were standing just a LITTLE bit to the left...!  Yo, don't worry!  I'm sure we'll see her again!"  They run forward again.  Unlucky.  Yeah, sure.  If life was unlucky.  Which... to be honest, it is.  Maybe it would be for the best if they were killed.

 _Don't you dare think like that,_ Chara scolded,  _Life is good.  Life is what we want.  Let's_ stay alive _, Frisk._  They decide to ignore Chara.  What does a voice know about life?   _What does an eight-year-old know about life?_ they challenge.  Okay, so maybe Frisk doesn't have the most experience, but what they have experienced has been completely bad.  At least... until they fell Underground.  Life is good here.  They don't want to leave.   _Then why don't you stop moving forward?_  It's the visions.  They can't help it.  They feel so compelled to go onwards.  Maybe there's something important for them.  Besides, this way they're not a burden to anyone.

Chara just sighs, and they go on.  They find a room with a table and a mousehole and cheese.  The cheese has a magical crystal around it.  They listen to the echo flower nearby -  the echo flower just squeaks like a mouse.  They feel determined.  The mouse will surely get to the cheese, no matter how impossible it is.  As they move on, they feel a little bit of themselves linger.  Chara refrains from commenting on the likelihood (not happening) of the mouse getting a hold of the cheese, and instead comment on Frisk's tendency to have faith in mice.  And other things.

After they pass the mouse, they run into Sans again.   _He's everywhere!_ Chara exclaims, exasperated.  Sans asks if they want to use the telescope, and they nod.  Hey, if it's free...  All they see is red, and they pull away, confused.

"huh? you aren't satisfied? don't worry. i'll give you a full refund." They giggle at that - Sans knows as well as they do it was free!  They don't realize their eye is now ringed in something pink until they approach water.  They rub the pink stuff away, making a face.   _You know, I'm pretty sure I hate him,_ Chara comments.  They scold Chara, saying that it's not nice to hate people and that Sans is just silly - he's harmless and not mean.

There's a monster behind them - they see this belatedly - and they walk over to the monster, waving at them idly.  The monster launches into a tirade of curious questions.  "What's a star?  Can you touch it?  Can you eat it?  Can you kill it?  ...Are you a star?"  Frisk shakes their head furiously to all the questions except the first one, and then they all but flee.  That got macabre quickly.

Behind Sans's telescope operation -  _scam_ , Chara corrects - is a cavern with the Nice Cream bunny.  Frisk waves excitedly, coming right up to them to talk to them.  The Nice Cream bunny talks about how hard business is, and then asks if they want to buy any.  Frisk shakes their head.  "I don't have any money," they explain.  The bunny looks defeated.  "Oh, well... tell your friends... there's Nice Cream... hidden in the depths of a watery cavern..."

...Actually, that's probably why their business is going poorly.

Frisk moves on, crossing a bridge to where there are dark-colored grass and lights.  They come to some echo flowers, and they follow the flowers to hear their conversation.

"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"

"...hmm, just one, but... It's kind of stupid."

"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh."

"...hmmm... if I say my wish... You promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Of course I won't laugh!"

"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under.  Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around... That's my wish."

Laughter interrupts the words, and Frisk tries their best not to join in.

"...hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it!"

"Sorry, it's just funny...  That's my wish, too."

After the conversational echo flowers, Frisk finds more fronds. They look in the fronds, and find... a pair of ballet shoes. Oh, no.

_"I just want to go home," she begged, staring at the knight in front of her.  "Please, just let me go home.  It - it was an accident, okay.  I'm sorry.  God, I'm sorry.  Seven SOULs - I know, I know that - but please.  I just want to see my family again.  My boyfriend.  All the people I care about."  The knight spares no mercy.  She holds her shoes up, as if they are a defense, but they do nothing against the magical spears.  The knight moves the body, but the shoes are left behind._

This one leaves Frisk crying.  There was no mercy.  No kindness.  Even the monster who killed the boy with the glove and bandana, they showed him kindness and mercy.  This one... it just... wasn't fair.  The monster kid admires the wrong person.

Eventually, they walk on, and find another sign. They realize this continues the history they saw earlier. It's what Chara had told them... They wonder why Chara knows the story so well, but they refuse to say anything about it, or read this sign. Frisk shrugs and moves on.

The next area has a lot of water, a big pool, and as they walk they see a creature come from the murky depths - they cringe, shrinking away. But the monster smiles brightly, and, well, they're _cute_ even though they're big.

"Hey... there... Noticed you were... here... I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y'hear!" Frisk introduces themselves, and Onionsan nods. They take a few steps forward and Onionsan follows before speaking up again. "You're visiting Waterfall, huh! It's great here, huh! You love it, huh! Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite." They pause and Frisk keeps walking. Onionsan keeps talking. "Even though, the water's getting so shallow here... I, have to sit down all the time, but... he-hey! That's OK! It beats moving to the city! And living in a crowded aquarium! Like all my friends did!" Frisk looks at Onionsan - they must be so lonely! "And the aquarium's full, a-anyway, so, even if I wanted to, I... That's okay though, y'hear! Undyne's gonna fix everything, y'hear! I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y'hear!" Frisk keeps moving forward. They have another purpose now. They need to let Onionsan live in the ocean. That's why they need to get to Asgore. They need to save everyone. They arrive at the end of the room. "Hey... there... that's the end of this room. I'll see you around! Have a good time! In Waterfalllllllll-" The sound becomes bubbles as they sink back beneath the water. Frisk will GUARANTEE Onionsan gets to live in the ocean. They will do it.

In the next room they see a shy monster hiding in the corner.  They look curiously at the monster and wave, but she just shrinks away.  Frisk smiles and asks to see her smile, but all she does is let out a couple of quiet notes.  That's it!  Frisk starts humming.  The monster seems compelled to join them.  They try conducting, but it seems she's happier following along.  Frisk asks her name, and she whispers out a breathlessly soft "Shyren".  They hum with Shyren, and more and more monsters come until it's a full-blown concert!  Sans begins to sell tickets to come hear Frisk and Shyren sing. Eventually Shyren and Frisk stop singing, and the two part ways as good friends.

 After meeting Shyren, Frisk finds a piano in the next room.  The sign next to it mentions something about music and a puzzle.  There's no music, though... This direction is a dead end.  They shake their head and move on.  There's more signs - more of the story.  Chara asks to read them - they know this story well and can add information the signs don't have.  Frisk lets them.

 _This power has no counter.  Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's SOUL.  When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears.  And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster.  There is only one exception.  The SOUL of a special species of monster called a "Boss Monster."  A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death... If only for a few moments.  A human could absorb this SOUL.  But this has never happened.  And now it never will._  Chara paused.   _You know what HAS happened though, Frisk?  A monster absorbed a human's SOUL. They made it through the barrier.  But then they never came back._

They think that's sad, and then Chara won't say more about it.

After the signs there's a statue.  Rain falls down on the statue's head.  Frisk stares at it for a little bit, before moving on.  They come across a bucket of umbrellas, and take one to bring back to the statue.  The sign next to the bucket only says 'take one'... They hesitate but then decide against taking one for themselves.

Soon they enter into a rainy room, thus explaining the umbrellas.   _We could be dry.  Go back and take an umbrella,_ Chara demands.  Frisk turns back around and grabs an umbrella finally, deciding this was better than being wet.

"Yo, you got an umbrella?"  Oh!  It's the monster kid from before!  He grins at them and runs under their umbrella.  "Awesome!  Let's go!"  As they walk, the monster kid sighs.  "Man, Undyne is sooooooo cool.  She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses.  If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night knowing she was gonna beat me up!  Ha ha."  Frisk smiles uncomfortably.   _You should tell him you're a human, and you're going to beat UNDYNE up.  You should smile at him and snarl and say HE should wet the bed!_

They ignore Chara and keep walking.  They can manage Monster Kid's talking.

"So, one time," he continues, heedless of their discomfort, "We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower.  The king - we had to call him "Mr. Dreemurr" - volunteered to donate his own flowers.  He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff.  That got me thinking... YO!  How COOl would it be if UNDYNE came to school!?  She could beat up ALL the teachers!!"

It was kind of cute, Frisk thought, how much they admired Undyne.  The lady-knight was clearly a hero to them, and that was nice.  Maybe Undyne wasn't all bad.  They liked the sound of the king, though.  He sounded very nice - first the praise from Papyrus and now Monster Kid's story.  They wanted to meet him.  Vaguely, they wondered why they hadn't heard of or ran into 'Asgore' yet, like Toriel mentioned.  But that was a sad thought, so they shook their head and moved on.

"Ummm, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers... She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!"  Frisk was innocent.   _You're human, so you aren't,_ Chara corrected.  Well, alright, but that had nothing to do with the fact they were human.

Even though it was rainy, Waterfall was very pretty.  They liked all the blue and the echo flowers and everything.  It was a place that made them happy.  So they took a moment, underneath the umbrella with the monster kid, to just admire Waterfall and listen to him talk about Undyne and school and things.  Finally, they moved onwards and after a while found a spot to put their umbrella up.  They put it in the container, and then in front of them was a small cliff.

They looked at it dubiously.  "Yo, this ledge is way too steep... Yo, you wanna see Undyne, right...?"  No, but this was the way forward.  "Climb on my shoulders," he offered.  They turned back around and dangled their hands down, which made the kid laugh.  "Yo, you go on ahead," he said, "Don't worry about me.  I always find a way to get through!"  They smile at that and nod.  He's nice.  Nicer than any human they've ever met.

They walked forward and found more signs.  Frisk struggled through reading them aloud.  "The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us," they read, "They attacked suddenly, and without mercy."  They could feel their heart breaking at this.  "In the end, it could hardly be called a war.  United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak.  Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust..."

Frisk felt determined.  Somehow, they would right the wrongs of the humans before them.  They  _would_ free the monsters.  They'd go to all the way to the king and tell them how they wanted to save the monsters.  A little piece of their self was left behind as they moved on.

They walked along an unsteady bridge, a long wooden thing that looked like it would fall for miles.  Beneath them, they saw the knight-lady.   _Undyne_.  She threw magic spears at them.  It was like before.  They ran and they ran and they ran, going as fast as they could, fear fueling their race.  They dodged spear after spear.

And then there was a dead end.  Slowly, they turned around.  Undyne raised her hand and brought it down.  Spears rained down in front of them, and suddenly they were falling.

A memory overtook them.  A memory of a little child and a small goat monster and how they became  _best friends_.  It was a good memory.

When they woke up, they were on golden flowers again.  They looked around, thinking they were back at the beginning - but no.  Everything was wet and soggy.  They looked at the flooded ground around them and took off their socks and shoes.  They'd have clean footwear when they got out of the water.  They managed to tuck the shoes away in their pocket before stepping forward.  There was a lot of garbage around them, and they looked at all the trash piles.

They leave a little bit of their self behind.  It was a lucky save, and so much like how their journey started, they can't help but feel determined.

They come to a dummy, and look at it in its button eyes, before moving on.  That's when the dummy seems to come to life; suddenly, it is in front of them.  It's angry and it's glaring.

"Hahaha... Too intimidated to fight me, huh?!  I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy.  My cousin used to live inside a dummy, too.  Until... YOU CAME ALONG!  When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat... But the things you SAID!"  What things?  They said something about books, that's all.  "Horrible.  Shocking!  UNBELIEVABLE!  It spooked them right out of their dummy!  HUMAN!  I'll scare your SOUL out of your body!"

Their SOUL certainly leaves their body, gleaming bright red in front of them.  "Futile.  Futile!  FUTILE!" he screeched.  Small dummies surround Frisk and set off magic attacks, and they run, dodging left and right.  One of the attacks hit the dummy.  "OWWW!  You DUMMIES!  Watch where you're aiming your magic attacks!"  He pauses and looks at them.  "Uh, forget I said anything about magic!"

This might be what they need to do.  Try and lead the attacks to the dummy...  But first.

"I don't want to fight," Frisk says desperately.  The dummy only replies with, "I'll kill you and take your SOUL!  I'll use your SOUL to cross the barrier!"  He keeps going.  "I'll stand in the window of a fancy store!  THEN EVERYTHING I WANT WILL BE MINE!"

"Will that avenge your cousin?" they asked, trying to temper his attacks.  As he spoke he just kept... ATTACKING them.  "Huh?  Yeah, I guess that'll avenge my cousin...  What was their name again...?"

They forgot their own cousin's name?!  Frisk shakes their head in disbelief.  The distraction allows them to be hit.

Their SOUL shatters in front of them.

They hear a voice from their dream, their first night in the underground...  "STAY DETERMINED!

They wake up on the flowers again.  They shake their head.  They were dead...  They were dead, and now all of a sudden they weren't?!  It didn't make any sense.  They pressed their hands to their head, unsure.   _You just LOADed a SAVE,_ Chara said, sounding bored.  A SAVE?  LOADing?   _Yeah.  You're so determined you SAVE.  And then, when you die, you go back to that SAVE.  You LOAD your SAVEs._  Like a video game?   _Yes, like a video game.  But cooler, because it's real life._  So they should just... go forward?   _Yeah.  You'll face the dummy again.  Try not to die this time._

They go back to where the dummy is (after tucking their shoes and socks away again, of course).  This time they just stare until the dummy comes to life.  "ARGH!!!" he yells, "YOU JUST TOTALLY RUINED MY DRAMATIC ENTRANCE?!"  They shrug in response.

They fight, and this time they don't say anything.  The dummy's ranting leads him to "Foolish.  Foolish!  FOOLISH!!"  It's... probably referencing Frisk, but they don't care.  They feel determined.  They won't die this time.

"HEY GUYS!" the dummy yells, after being hit yet again, "Dummies.  Dummies!  DUMMIES!  Remember how I said NOT to shoot at me?  Well... FAILURES!  YOU'RE FIRED!  YOU'RE ALL BEING REPLACED!!"  The miniature dummies don't seem too upset about this, and they leave.  The mad dummy cackles.  "Now you'll see my true power: Relying on people that aren't garbage!"  Wow... this guy is just so...  _mean_.

"DUMMY BOTS!  MAGIC MISSLE!" he yells, and miniature mechanical dummies surround Frisk.  When they shoot, Frisk has to keep ahead of their bullets.  The missiles follow them!  But then they can just watch the red dot, and when it shrinks they duck out of the way and boom, the little missiles run right into the angry dummy.  Okay.  They can do this.

After getting hit a couple of times, he yells.  "Who cares.  Who cares!  WHO CARES!!  I DON'T NEED FRIENDS!!!  I'VE GOT KNIVES!!!"  Somehow... the armless dummy... throws a knife at Frisk.  They easily dodge out of the way, panting.  The dummy pauses, looking shocked.  "I'm... out of knives.  BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!  YOU CAN'T HURT ME AND I CAN'T HURT YOU!  YOU'LL BE STUCK FIGHTING ME... Forever.  Forever!  FOREVER!!!!"  He laughs.

His laughter is suddenly interrupted by tears.  "Wh... What the heck is this!?" the dummy shrieks as the tears hit him.  "Erg!  Acid rain!?!  Oh, FORGET IT!  I'm outta here!"  He leaves, and Frisk sighs in relief.  But for some reason, their SOUL doesn't return to their body... They look up.  It's the ghost from the Ruins, Napstablook!  They break out into a wide grin.

"...sorry, i interrupted you, didn't i?" Napstablook sighs sadly.  They shake their head furiously.  "i didn't?  oh... that makes me feel better.  but... i'm going to head home now.  oh... um... feel free to "come with" if you want.... but no pressure... i understand if you're busy... it's fine... no worries... just thought i'd offer..."  Frisk's SOUL returned to their chest and Napstablook flew away.  They followed the ghost.

"hey... my house is up here... in case you want to see... or in case... you don't..."  They follow Napstablook into their house.

"oh... you really came... sorry, i... wasn't expecting that... it's not much, but make yourself at home.  uh, do you wanna... listen to some tunes... or something..."  They nod.  Napstablook picks some music out.  "dang... that ambiance... it's like my whole body is being spooked... do you... like it?"

They nod.  They do like it!  It's... interesting, and definitely a little spooky... but it's good music.  They wander over to the fridge; it seems strange that a ghost has a fridge.  "oh... are you hungry... i can get you something to eat..."  Frisk nods.  Napstablook gets them a sandwich.  It's slightly transparent and a little blueish.  "this is a ghost sandwich... do you want to try it..."  They nod, but they just phase through the sandwich.  Napstablook seems sad, and worried like they upset Frisk.  "oh... nevermind... hey... after a great meal i like to lay down on the ground and feel like garbage... it's a family tradition... do you want.. ...to join me...?"  Frisk nods, and both of them lay down on the floor.  They close their eyes.

They feel like they are floating.  Eventually it's like the music goes away.  The world around them fades.  They lay there for who knows how long... Napstablook wakes them up.  "...oh... i'm sorry to wake you... but you fell asleep... i let you sleep for a while... but i don't know... if you have something important to do... or not..."  They thank the ghost and then leave.

Next to Napstablook's house is a snail farm.  They wander around, looking at all the snails.  There's a snail race, but they don't have 10 G to enter.  Napstablook lets them enter for free, but they don't get a prize.  That's okay though.  They go back into the cavern with all the paths away from it.  They feel... determined.  They have a new friend.  They've been making a lot of friends.  They made it through their first LOAD.  Maybe... maybe they could actually do this.

A sign tells them the way to Hotland, and, well, it's the only cavern without a dead end.  So they head in that direction.  Along the way there, they come across a little shop.  They enter, and an old turtle monster smiles at them and greets them with a cheery hello.

They strike up a conversation with them.  He tells them about the Delta Rune, and the prophecy, and how monsters have forgotten the original meaning.  He talks about 'Ol' Fluffybuns', the king of monsters.  Mr.  Dreemurr sounds nice, they say, and Gerson agrees with them.  He talks a little about himself.  He's very old.  He seems very grandfather like, though they wouldn't really know.  They've never known a grandfather.  Something in them tells them to trust him.  So they tell him he's a human.

"Wa-ha-ha!  That explains a lot!" he exclaims, "Well, human child, you're heading for the barrier, right?  I'm going to wish you luck."  The old turtle pauses, and then reaches for something underneath the counter.  "Here.  This is an old notebook from another human who fell Underground.  Maybe it can help."  The notebook is purple with some black silhouettes on it for a design.  They hesitate taking it, bracing themselves for another vision.

_The Underground had been a good place for inspiration.  His notebook was filled with more poetry and stories than ever.  And as long as he kept hiding like he did, he could avoid any battles.  When he did run into battles, it was easy enough to figure out the pattern of attacks and flee.  So thus far he'd avoided harming anyone.   He looked up from the notebook, looking in surprise at the strange monster who came to sit by him, curious._

_He pushed up his cloudy glasses, the dirt on them making it hard to see.  He was virtually blind without them, though, so he tolerated such circumstances.  The monster struck up a friendly conversation.  That just meant his disguise was working, which he was grateful for._

_Dirt rubbed over his face, a heavy jacket with two slits cut through it so the costume wings could poke through.  He had managed to get a hold of some paint and scissors and made the wings look somewhat natural, though he was terrified they would be obviously seen through.  They weren't._

_And, hey, looks like he was getting a new friend out of it._

The vision was pleasant, and they took the notebook and held it close to their chest.  "Thank you," they said, and Gerson nodded.

"Good luck, Frisk.  I'll see you again sometime, maybe.  Wa-ha-ha!"  They wanted to see Gerson again.  They waved and left.

They were filled with determination.  They would free all the monsters.  They could do this.  As they move on, a little bit of themselves remains behind.

They quickly find a box, and they put the notebook in it with all their other items.  Stepping forward, they find the cavern widening. There are more signs.  More reading...   _Just let me read them,_ Chara suggests.   They let the voice read.

 _Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans.  Seven of their  greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell.  Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave.  There is only one way to reverse this spell.  If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier... It will be destroyed.  But this cursed place has no entrances or exits.  There is no way a human can come_ _here_.  Chara paused in their reading.   _Well, we know that isn't true_.  Yeah - they were down here.  Chara continued, _We will remain trapped down here forever._

Frisk walks on past the signs more slowly, sad.  It would be hard to stay hopeful, thinking you would be trapped down here forever.  It was a beautiful place, but Frisk  _did_ miss the sun.  That's where they wanted to die, anyway - under the sun, as close as they could get to it.  It's like all the wishes on the stones in the ceiling instead of stars in the sky.  They want to free the monsters, so they could see the sun too.  But how could they get a power equal to seven human SOULs?

 _The other children,_ Chara said,  _That's a start for the number we need_.  Frisk shakes their head furiously.  It feels wrong, to use actual SOULs.  They can't do that.  It would be too mean.  They don't linger over the thoughts for long, instead tackling the next puzzle in front of them: press mushrooms in certain ways to light up paths.  It was pretty easy.

And then they found the village.  It was full of strange white creatures, vibrating.  Chara says the sign they stand next to says something about 'Tem Village'; Frisk can't read the words because of how they're written.

"h0i!!" says one of the temmies, "im temmie!!! and dis is my friend... temmie!!!"  Frisk flees from the Temmie Village, practically running, and moves on to the next cavern.

The cavern is filled with crystals, lanterns, and candles.  There was a sign they can just barely make out in the darkness, but they can't really read it so Chara reads it for them.   _Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate._ So... that is what Frisk had to do.  They walk through carefully, following the light of the crystals.  It's a maze shrouded in darkness.  They fall onto a Moldsmol.  No, this isn't a Moldsmol - Chara says something about it being a Moldbygg.  They creep away from the Moldbygg, and the creature leaves them alone.  They're a little sore, but everything's fine, so they make it past the maze.

It was still dark here, so dark they can barely see.  They nearly trip into some water as they head forward.  They walk slowly, so slowly, because they can't see anything.  But they come to the end of the tunnel, and there's an echo flower.  They lean down to it, to listen.

"Behind you." it whispers, ominously.  Frisk turns around, afraid.  The room lights up as the lady-knight enters.  They take one loud step towards Frisk, then another.

"Seven," she says, "Seven human SOULs.  With the power of seven human SOULs, our king... King Asgore Dreemurr... will become a god.  With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier.  He will finally take the surface back from humanity... And give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured.  Understand, human?  This is your only chance at redemption.  Give up your soul... Or I'll tear it from your body."

Frisk is frozen and cannot move.  Undyne approaches, spear out, and Frisk's SOUL rises from their chest.  And then... it stops.  The monster kid!  They jump out from the fronds they were hiding in.

"Undyne!!! I'll help you fight!!!"  They look back and forth between Undyne, who is frozen with their spear out, and Frisk.  "YO!!!!  You DID it!!!  Undyne is RIGHT in front of you!!!  You've got front row seats to her fight!!!"   _How stupidly naive.  Maybe Undyne'll just kill them,_ Chara says.  Frisk doesn't like that idea.  They want the monster kid to be safe.  They helped them!  But they were naive.  Didn't they realize that Undyne was attacking them?  That  _they_ were the human?  Surely the clues had piled up by now...

"...wait," he says finally, "Who's she fighting???"  Undyne suddenly grabs the kid and pulls them off.  "H-hey!" he shouts, "You aren't gonna tell my parents about this, are you?"  The kid saved their life.

Frisk falls to their knees, listening to the echo flower behind them repeat "You aren't goinna tell my parents about this, are you?" over and over again.  Asgore is the King of Monsters.  Mr. Dreemurr is Asgore.  This kind, gentle man... wants to kill them.  Has killed before.  They can't bring the two images of the monster together.  What's the truth, they wonder, the truth about Asgore.  After a while, they finally get up, shaky, and look around.  The cavern seems like a dead end, but...

They feel around the fronds where Monster Kid was hiding.  No, they don't go very deep.  How the kid hid at all is beyond them.  They finally find crystals lit up in a path now that their ordeal is over, and those crystals are what they follow.

They run through another flooded section of the cave, with more echo flowers to listen to.  At the end of the passageway, there's yet another historical sign that Chara reads for them.   _However... there is a prophecy.  The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return.  And the Underground will go empty._

The child walks on, out of the water.  Another bridge.  They're beginning to hate bridges.  All of Waterfall's bridges are dangerous.  They walk carefully across it, slow and steady.  As they reach the end, they hear the monster kid call out.

"Yo!"  They turn around, to see him running towards them.  He freezes, suddenly, and then takes the rest of the way slowly.  He looks at them, then away, then back at them.  "Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but... I wanna ask you something.  ...Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before... Umm... Yo... You're human, right?  Haha."  Frisk nods, blinking at them.  "Man!  I knew it!  ...well, I know it now, I mean... Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from that human.'  So, like, ummm... I guess that makes us enemies or something.  But I kinda stink at that, haha.  Yo, say something mean so I can hate you?  Please?"

 _Tell him he's a pathetic, naive fool and you'll hit him so hard with your stick he'll turn to dust,_ Chara suggests.  Frisk shakes their head, furiously, and the kid takes it as them refusing to insult them.  Which, well, they won't.

"Yo, what?  So I have to do it?  Here goes nothing...  Yo, I... I hate your guts."  He pauses, and then shakes his head.  "Man, I... I'm such a turd.  I'm... I'm gonna go home now."  He takes a step back, then turns around and begins to run.  He trips, and he holds on by his head.

"Yo!  W-w-wait!  Help!  I tripped!"  Frisk runs to them, even as Undyne approaches, and helps them up.  He stands in front of them. "Y... y... yo... dude...  If... If y-you wanna hurt my friend... You're gonna have to get through me, first."

The lady-knight backs away, and then the monster kid turns around and smiles at them.  "She's gone...  Yo, you really saved my skin.  Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha.  We'll just have to be friends instead."

Frisk smiles back.  "I'd like that," they say, and the kid's grin grows wider.

"Me too," they say eagerly, before their grin fades.  "...man, I should REALLY go home... I bet my parents are worried sick about me!  Later, dude!"  With that, the monster kid runs off - this time without tripping.

Frisk smiles as they, too, continue on their journey.  They feel happy.  They feel determined.  They've made a new friend.  A little bit of their SOUL lingers, and it almost seems to push them forward as they make their way through the caverns.

At their feet, they find a pair of cloudy glasses.  They recognize the glasses from the vision of the writing boy.  They pick the glasses up carefully, bracing themselves for the vision that comes.

_"I can't find my glasses," he said.  He could see a blurry figure.  "I can't see without them.  Help me, please."  The figure said they have his glasses, and they'll give the glasses back on one condition: he tells the truth.  They asked if he's a human.  "Of course not!" he exclaimed._

_He felt a sharp pain within his chest, felt a warm liquid spreading.  He looked down.  Red, red.  All he could make out is red._

A cruel monster.  Frisk shudders as they pocket the glasses.  They walk quickly, now, desperate to escape the vision.

It isn't long until they arrive to a... cave.  A cave within a cave?  A soft breeze was in the air.  It felt like outside, but they knew it wasn't possible.  Otherwise all the monsters would have escaped.  They step forward, planning to head through the cave, when they hear someone clearing their throat.

It's the lady knight, Undyne!  She stares down at them.  "Seven.  Seven human SOULs, and King Asgore will become a god.  Six.  That's how many we have collected thus far.  Understand?  Through your seventh and final SOUL, this world will be transformed.  First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far, I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people.  It all started, long ago..."  She pauses, still staring down.  And then she shakes her head and throws off her helmet.

"No, you know what?  SCREW IT!  WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE?!  NGYAAHH!"  She glares down at them with one good eye.  "YOU!  You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams!  Alphys's history books made me think humans were cool, with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen.  BUT YOU?  You're just a coward!"   _A coward?  Jeez, this lady is awful.  You've been going up and hugging_ everyone _and like, making friends left and right.  A wimp?  Yes.  Coward?  No._  Frisk appreciates Chara's support.

"Hiding behind that kid so you could run away from me again!" Undyne continues, "And let's not forget your wimpy goody-two-shoes-shtick!"  That makes Chara laugh.   _HA, I TAKE IT BACK!  UNDYNE IS SUPER AWESOME!_  Frisk thought the voice was on their side.   _I am.  I can still admire_.  Fine.  Undyne's still talking, anyway.  They can argue later.  "Oooh!  I'm making such a difference by hugging random strangers!" she says in a mock-girly voice, throwing her hands out to the side and everything.

"You know what would be more valuable to everyone?  IF YOU WERE DEAD!!!  That's right, human!  Your continued existence is a crime!"  Frisk knows that.  They look down at the ground, sheepishly.   _She's wrong on that, Frisk.  C'mon._  No, she's right.  She's pretty smart.  Both Chara and Monster Kid think she's cool, don't they?  "Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!  Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together!  Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment!  But we're not nervous at all.  When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose!  Now, human!  Let's end this, right here, right now.  I'll show you how determined monsters can be!"

Undyne throws one of her magical spears at them, positioned in such a way for them to catch it.  It forms to become more of a... shield.  She jumps down after them, and their SOUL comes from their chest.  The fish-lady turns it... green.  Frisk can't move.

"No more running away!  En guarde!" she yells.  "As long as you're green, you can't escape!  Unless you learn to face danger head-on... You won't last a SECOND against ME!"  She throws some spears at Frisk, and Frisk blocks them with the shield she gave them.

Okay.  So... even though she's scary... and tough... and hard... she's also fair.  Because this is fair, she's given them a chance.  Something in Frisk tells them that Undyne is inherently  _good_ , she just doesn't understand Frisk.  So they can do this.

"Not bad," she cackles as she moves into the next attack, "Then how about THIS?!"  She throws some spears from the sides now, too, but nice and slow so Frisk can get them.  Okay, okay.  This isn't hard!  They smile, nodding and feeling determined.  Undyne grins at them.

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending," Undyne says, "And now, sunlight is just within our reach!"  They plead with Undyne, saying they don't want to fight.

"I won't let you snatch it away from us!" she growls, unmoved by their pleas.  "NGAH!  Enough warming up!"  The attacks get faster and faster.  Frisk misses a spear and gets hit.  They die.

After taking a moment to check themselves over, they approach Undyne.  They have to listen to her speech again, but that's okay.  This time they block every spear.  Afterwards, their SOUL turns red once again.  They run.

Undyne catches them easily.  "You won't get away from me this time!"  She turns their SOUL green again and throws more spears at them.  "Honestly, I'm doing you a favor... No human has EVER made it past Asgore!"

How is that doing them a favor?  They could live longer that way, at least.  They don't voice their thoughts.  They don't really want to live, anyway.  But they can't die, and they don't want to disappoint their friends.

"Killing you now is an act of mercy!" Undyne declares.  They agree.  But they won't stay dead.  They get too distracted by her speech, and miss a spear.  They die.  They make it to the same point, and this time they manage to catch the spear.

"So STOP being so damn resilient!" she cries, throwing a whirlwind of spears.  It's all Frisk can do to protect themselves, but they manage, panting heavily.  Their SOUL turns red again.  They run.  Undyne catches them again.  "You've escaped from me for the LAST time!" she cries, angry.

"Alpys told me humans were determined," she says as she throws a spear in a new pattern.  It's slow enough for Frisk to pick up on the pattern, and they manage to block the spear.  "I see now what she meant by that!  But I'm determined, too!"

Frisk misses another one of the spears.  They die.  They fight.  They run.  They listen.

"Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!" Undyne cries.  "...RIGHT NOW!"  She throws attack after attack at them, telling them after each series of spears that she is determined to end it 'RIGHT NOW'.  Finally, she stopped, panting, and threw another, slower attack at them.

"NGYAHH!  DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" she screamed at them, throwing her most erratic patterns at them.  Frisk caught every single one this time.  They did it.  They were getting better at this.  They felt pretty proud of themselves.

 They run again.  Suddenly, their cell phone rings.  Undyne stops as they answer it.  Okay.  So they don't have to run and talk.  Uhh.

It's Papyrus.  "HEY! WHAT'S UP!?" They were getting chased by Undyne is what's up. They don't say anything though. "I WAS JUST THINKING... YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME!" _Sure, if she doesn't want to kill us,_ Chara sneered. " I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!" With that, Papyrus hangs up.

Frisk wastes no time. They start running again.  Undyne catches them again, but she doesn't turn their SOUL green.  "Stop running away!" she cries, but they ignore her and run anyway.  They make it into 'Hotland', past a giant flashy sign saying 'Welcome to Hotland'.  In Hotland, there's Sans... asleep at a sentry station.  They stop back, only glancing back to see Undyne stop, glaring at Sans before she resumes her chase.  They run across a bridge suspended over lava.

Undyne slows.  "Armor... so... hot... But I can't... give up..." she pants.  She takes another step forward before collapsing.  Frisk looks.  There's a water cooler, with water available.  They get a cup, not even hesitating, and pour it over Undyne's scales.

They brace themselves to run again.  But she just hauls herself up, stares at them for a long, long moment, and then turns around and walks away.  They're safe.  They sigh in relief, and go to check on Sans.  His station is now... empty.  They don't even know.  He's weird.

They return to the cooler.   _I bet if we dumped all the water on the ground, we could grow a tree,_ Chara suggests.  Frisk figures they're joking, but decides to do it anyway.  Chara's laughter echoes in their head.

All of it's on the ground now.  They're ready for Hotland.  Despite themselves, they hope a tree does grow where the water is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no you're not supposed to know how they carry all their stuff shhh. also frisk is totally a one-hit wonder in this fic woops. also what's gender lol is the monster kid a he or a they who knooowwsss.


	4. Hotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woops I forgot to add Undyne's house scene to the end of last chapter hahaha have it in this one!!!
> 
> I also have a tumblr. it exists at kunabee.tumblr.com i use the same name everywhere.

Hotland is a fitting name; Frisk is already burning up.  They fan a hand over their face.   _Another box_ , Chara points out to them.  They check it and sort out their inventory versus the box, before realizing... they hear something.  It sounds like water. In this place?

They follow the sound of water to a river.  It's still hot, so hot a river should be impossible, but there it is.  They feel determined - if a river can be here, then they can make it through this part of their quest.

On the river is a cloaked person with a boat.  The person is singing; they approach.

"Tra la la.  I am the riverman.  Or am I the riverwoman...?  It doesn't really matter.  I love to ride in my boat.  Would you care to join me?" the riverperson sing-songs.  Frisk nods.  "Where to?" they ask.  They think about Papyrus's phone call.  Waterfall, then.

The stop is near Gerson's shop, and they wave as they step off the boat.

"Come again some time.  Tra la la," says the riverperson.

They call Papyrus, wondering where Undyne's house is. They guess she lives in Waterfall - the brothers live in Snowdin, after all - and Papyrus did say he wants to hang out...

"HEY! YOU'RE NEAR UNDYNE'S HOUSE! THAT'S TO THE LEFT-UPWARDS. LUPWARDS. ALL THE OTHER DIRECTIONS GO TO THE WRONG HOUSE. NORTH: GHOST HOUSE. EAST: TURTLE HOUSE. SOUTH: TRASH HOUSE. I'M RIGHT OUTSIDE, SO I'LL SEE YOU THERE!"

So to the North-west...? Okay. Frisk heads that direction - and sure enough, there's Papyrus, standing there with a smile. Before they approach Papyrus, they listen - what's that music...? _It sounds like Undyne's playing piano,_ " Chara says, sounding surprised. Maybe Papyrus is right, then; maybe they CAN be friends with Undyne. They walk up to Papyrus finally, and he smiles brightly at them.

"OHO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!" he declares happily, "ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE?" No, but they will anyway because they know it will make Papyrus happy. "I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU TWO GREAT FRIENDS!" That's... promising? "OKAY! STAND BEHIND ME! PSST. MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS! SHE LOVES THESE!" Papyrus hands them a bone.

Undyne answers the door. She's not wearing armor; instead, she's wearing casual clothes, which makes sense. "Hi, Papyrus!" Undyne says brightly, "Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?"

"YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT A FRIEND!" At those words, Frisk tries to hide behind Papyrus. "DON'T HIDE!" He steps out of the way, and Undyne has full view of them.

"Hi, I don't think we've -" She breaks off and stares, glaring. She glances back and forth between Papyrus and Frisk. Finally, after a while, she says, "Why don't. You two. Come in?" in a very strained voice. Papyrus is excited as he enters, but Frisk is much more cautious and nervous.

"HERE, UNDYNE. MY FRIEND BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU. ON THEIR OWN!" Frisk slowly pulls out the bone and hands it to Undyne. They snatch their hand away as she takes it.

"Uhh... thanks." They're pretty sure she can tell that it's from Papyrus. "I'll, uh, put it with the others." She puts it in a drawer underneath her sink, tucking it away on a pile of other bones that look almost exactly the same. They hide back behind Papyrus. "So are we ready to start?" Undyne asks him.

"WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!! YOU TWO HAVE FUN!!!" With that, Papyrus leaps out the window. Frisk stares after him. Undyne stares for a moment too, before looking back at them. They cower.

"So why are YOU here?" Undyne demands.  They point at the window where Papyrus just left.  Undyne ignores them.  "To rub your victory in my face?"  They weren't very victorious... "To humiliate me even further?"  That didn't make sense; how could they humiliate Undyne?  They didn't see her underwear or anything!  "IS THAT IT?"  They shake their head furiously.

"Then why are you here?"  They point in the direction of Papyrus again, and then it seems like a lightbulb goes off in their head.  "Wait, I get it.  You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh?"  No, not really, but it would be nice.  "Right???"  They nod, deciding that giving a not completely honest answer was better than not answering.

"Really?  How delightful!! I accept!"  They grin at Undyne - was it really so easy?   _Don't trust it.  She's sarcastic,_ Chara warns.  "Let's all frolick in the fields of friendship!"  Okay, that was definitely sarcastic, they decide.  "...NOT!"   _Called it_ , Chara says.

"Why would I EVER be friends with YOU!?"  They shrug - they don't have an answer for her.  Or for anyone, really.  "If you weren't my houseguest, I'd beat you up right now!"  They take a step back, terrified.  "You're the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams!"  This wasn't new.  They always have been worthless.   _Frisk, stop it!_ Chara scolds them, but it doesn't matter.  Undyne knows the truth.  She knew the truth before even meeting them, and she hasn't lost sight of that.  Not like Chara, who used to say they were just as bad as everyone else.  That was true.  Not like Papyrus, who stopped wanting to capture them.  Not like Sans, who joked with them, or Toriel, who baked them pie.  No, Undyne knew their real nature: bad.

"I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND," Undyne declares loudly, "Now get out of my house!"

Papyrus comes to the window, having an expression that's something of a glare.  Determined.  "DANG! WHAT A SHAME... I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS... I OVERESTIMATED HER. SHE'S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE." With that, he runs off.   _Oh my god,_ Chara says gleefully,  _He just manipulated her!_

"CHALLENGE!?  What!?  Papyrus!  Wait a second...!  Darnit!"  He's already gone.  Undyne turns to them, and Frisk stares at her with wide eyes.  "He thinks I can't be friends with YOU!?  Fuhuhu!  What a joke!  I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day!  I'll show him!"  She gets a determined glint in her eye, grinning at Frisk.  It's... friendlier, but also a very competitive grin.  They don't like or trust it.  "Listen up, human.  We're not just going to be friends."  ...They're not?... "We're going to be... BESTIES!"  The word is said rather girlishly, and her grin becomes more - feminine?  She brings her hand up to her face, like she's about to giggle at any moment.  "I'll make you like me so much you won't be able to think of anyone else!!!"  Well that would be... interesting.  "Fuhuhuhu!  It's the PERFECT REVENGE!!"  Undyne pauses, before finally saying, "Why don't you have a seat?"

They make their way to the seat at the table and sit down.  "Comfortable?"  Undyne asks.  As comfortable as they can be with a scary fish lady.  "I'll get you something to drink." She pulls out several different drinks.  "All set!  What would you like?"  They begin to stand.  Suddenly, Undyne throws a spear in their direction.  "HEY!!!  DON'T GET UP!!!  YOU'RE THE GUEST!!  SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!!!"

Frisk finally bursts into tears.  Undyne looks stunned, like she doesn't know what to do.   _Crybaby,_ Chara says, but it's affectionate and they get the distinct image of the Nice Cream wrapper with the hug drawn on it.  Chara sending them a hug.

Undyne stammers over her words.  "Just - uh - point at what you'd - what you'd like to drink," she says, staring at the crying Frisk.  They don't move.  "Human - uh - are you okay?"  They just press their hands into their eyes and shake their head.

Undyne approaches, and they flail away.  "Oh jeez," she says, "You're just a kid, huh... a scared kid..."  She stops moving towards them, instead looking at them from a distance.  "Look, I know you're scared right now, but you gotta keep moving on!  You've gone this far!  You're headed all the way to the castle, right?  You can do it!  You just gotta believe you can!"

They blink at Undyne and sniff, their tears slowing.  "YEAH!"  She pumps a fist in the air.  "Stay determined!"  Determination.  It's how they SAVEd and LOADed.  They look up at the fish-lady, the knight who scared them.  Who killed them.

"You killed me," they say softly.  Undyne looks shocked.

"WHAT?!  No I didn't!  You're right here, duh!" she exclaims.   _Frisk, I don't think this is a good idea,_ Chara says, but Frisk pushes on.

"You did.  Multiple times.  But I LOADed, back to just before our fight.  And I fought you again.  And again.  And again.  Until I finally managed to dodge all of your spears.  It was really, really hard."  They close their eyes, pressing their hands over their eyelids.

Undyne has gone dead silent, and the air around them feels heavy.  "I wanted," they say, "I wanted to be the last SOUL.  But I kept surviving.  It... it wasn't fair.  It's  _not_ fair.  I came to Mount Ebott to die, and instead all I do is make people take care of me.  I'm worthless."  They peek at the knight captain from underneath their hands, squinting their eyes.

She looks awkward and uncomfortable.  "I'm not so good with comforting," she says, "And this stuff... it goes way over my head.  I don't know what you're talking about.  But I do know that, uh, you aren't worthless.  I mean - we need your SOUL.  That's at least one thing that proves you're not worthless, right?  And Papyrus likes you.  I mean, he likes everybody, don't get me wrong... but he's a good guy.  He likes you, so you're worth that.  And that's really cool.  So."

"Tea," Frisk says suddenly.  Undyne looks at them in surprise.

"What?"

"The tea."  They point this time.

"Oh, uh, yeah, right!  Coming right up!"  Frisk climbs back on the chair as Undyne prepares the tea.  She turns back to them, watching them.  "It'll take a moment for the water to boil."  She keeps an eye on them as it boils, only turning her back on them when the tea is done.  "Okay, it's all done!"  The tea isn't made from a tea bag, but from actual plants and such.  They watch her prepare it, and finally she brings it to them in a cup.  It looks like the only cup she has.  "Here we are."

"Careful,  it's hot," she warns as Frisk picks up the cup and stares at it.  They sit in silence for a moment, before Undyne exclaims, frustratedly, "It's not THAT hot!!  Just drink it already!"  They burn their tongue on the tea and nearly spill it, sniffling.  "It's pretty good, right?"  They nod, really just wanting to leave.  "Hey... You know... It's kind of strange you chose THAT tea.  Golden flower tea...  That's Asgore's favorite kind."  It's a good tea.  "Actually, now that I think about it... You kind of remind me of him?"

Really?  They snap to attention as they blow on the tea.  They are kind of thirsty.  (And hungry, but they still have a spider donut and a butterscotch pie slice and leftover spaghetti from Papyrus).  "You're both TOTAL weenies!!!"  Undyne laughs after that.   _Boy, does she have Asgore pegged_.  Chara knows Asgore?   _What - no!  Don't be silly.  I mean... I just think she has him pegged.  That's all._  That's not what they said, but Frisk isn't going to push it.  "...sort of."

There's a long pause while Undyne looks off at nothing.  "Y'know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid."  She still is, in their opinion.  "Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore.  Emphasis on TRIED.  I couldn't land a single blow on him!  And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back!  I was so humiliated... Afterwards, he apologized, and said something goofy...  'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?'  I said yes, and from then on, he trained me.  One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down.  I felt... bad.  But he was beaming... I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked."  Undyne laughs, shaking her head.  "Anyway, long story short, he kept training me... And now I'm the head of the Royal Guard!  So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight!  ...like, uh, Papyrus."

She goes quiet again, and Frisk takes the opportunity to chance a sip from their tea.  It's much cooler now.  They take sips periodically as Undyne coninues to talk.  "But, um, to be honest... I don't know if... I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard."  But that's Papyrus's dream... why not?  They blink at Undyne, confused.  "Don't tell him I said that!"  They shake their head and mime zipping their mouth shut.  "He's just... Well..."  _Too nice,_ Chara inserts.  "I mean, it's not that he's weak.  He's actually pretty freaking tough!  It's just that... He's... He's too innocent and nice!!!"   _CALLED IT!_ Chara wooped.  Frisk had to fight to keep from giggling, nodding instead in what they hoped was a sage, understanding manner.  "I mean, look, he was SUPPOSED to capture you and he ended up being FRIENDS with you instead!  I could NEVER send him into battle!  He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds.  That's part of why... I started teaching him how to cook, you know?  So, um, maybe he can do something else with his life."

That's wise, they think.  They go to take another sip of their tea.  Oh, it's empty.  "Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long... You're out of tea, aren't you?"  They nod.  "I'll get you some more."  Undyne begins to move to get them more tea, before freezing in place.  "Wait a second."  She blinks.

"Papyrus... his cooking lesson...  HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW!!!"  They stare at the aggressive Undyne, terrified that she'll attack again.   _You've got this,_ Chara promises them.  "And if HE'S not here to have it... YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR HIM!!!"

She jumps up in the air and lands on the counters, knocking everything off.  "That's right!!!  NOTHING has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking!  Which means that if I give you his lesson... WE'LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!!  Fuhuhuhu!!!  Afraid!?  We're gonna be best friends!!!"  She leaps and lands next to them, before picking them up and jumping back to the counter.  It's too quick for Frisk to even begin to panic, and they just sort of stare blankly in front of them.

"Let's start with the sauce!!" Undyne declares, before bringing out a tomato... a banana... an apple... a carrot.  "Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy!"  They refrain from pointing out that only the carrot is a vegetable.  "Now!!  Pound them to dust with your fists!!"

Frisk sort of just pats them with one of their hands.  "OH MY GOD!!! STOP PETTING THE ENEMY!!!  I'll show you how it's done!"  Undyne pounds the ~~vegetables~~ fruits and carrot into paste in one go.  It's over the wall, and even gets on Frisk's face.  They rub it off.  "Uhh, we'll just scrape this into a bowl later.  But for NOW!"  She practically flings a saucepan and pot down.  "...we add the noodles!"  She moves over to the stove, and Frisk follows.

"Homemade noodles are the best!  BUT I JUST BUY STORE BRAND!"  Undyne giggles in a rather girly manner.  "THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST!!!"  She grins at them.  "Uh, just put them in the pot."  The put the noodles in carefully, one at a time, making sure each one falls nicely.  "Nice???"  Apparently, the lady-knight isn't sure what to make of Frisk's careful, gentle manner.  Chara's groaning in their head, even, with how slowly they're putting the noodles in.  "Alright!  Now it's time to stir the pasta!" Undyne declares,  "As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir, THE BETTER IT IS!  Ready?  Let's do it!"  Frisk begins to stir.  "Stir harder!"  They try.  "Harder!"  They go faster.  "HARDER!!!"  They go as fast as they can, until their arms are hurting.  "UGH!  Let me do it!"  Undyne pulls out a magical spear to stir with, practically pounding the noodles.  The pan they're in gets bent.  This is not food they want to eat; no wonder Papyrus has such terrible spaghetti.

"Fuhuhuhuhu!  That's the stuff!  Alright, now for the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT!  Let the stovetop symbolize your passion!  Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire!  Ready?  Don't hold anything back!!!"  Frisk begins to turn the dial.  "Hotter!"  They turn more.  "HOTTER!"  The fire gets bigger.  "Ugh, let me do it!"  They flip it all the way, and - well.  It explodes.

Frisk ducks out of the way, barely, and then Undyne turns to them.  "Ah.  Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking."  She turns to the stove.  Frisk feels they should get out of here.  "So, what's next?  Scrapbooking?  Friendship bracelets?"  Undyne just stares at them.  Finally, she sighs.  "...oh, who am I kidding.  I really screwed this up, didn't I?  I can't force you to like me, human.  Some people just don't get along with each other.  I understand if you feel that way about me.  And if we can't be friends, that's okay.  Because... If we're not friends... IT MEANS I CAN DE- FIGHT YOU WITHOUT REGRET!  I've been defeated... my house is in shambles... I even failed to befriend you.  That's it.  I don't care if you're my guest anymore.  One final rematch!  All out on both sides!!!  IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE!!!  NOW COME ON!  HIT ME WITH ALL YOU"VE GOT!"

Undyne turns to them, and their SOUL comes from their chest.  They stare at the lady-knight, standing there in her flaming house without worry.  She waits for them to make the first move.  The close their eyes, gently reach out, and tap Undyne with their stick.

"What.  That's the best you can manage?  Even attacking at full force... You just can't muster any intent to hurt me, huh?"  They shake their head.  "Heh, you know what?  I don't actually want to hurt you either."  Their SOUL returns to their chest.  Frisk coughs.  "At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but... the way you hit me right now, it... reminded me of someone I used to train with."   _I'd bet your SOUL it was Asgore_.  They agree with Chara's assessment, but they will not bet their SOUL.  "And what you said... about feeling worthless... about having people take care of you... it makes me think.  You're not just some wimpy loser.  You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!  And that big heart?  That's worth a lot, even if it's been broken."  Undyne took a deep breath.  "Listen, human.  It seems that you and Asgore are fated to fight.  But knowing him... He probably doesn't want to."  Frisk's eyes widen.  He doesn't?  That's... that's really good news.  "Talk to him.  I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home."  Undyne frowns.  "Or... stay in the Underground.  Since... you know."  She took a deep breath.  "Eventually, some mean human will fall down here, and I'll take  **their** SOUL instead.  That makes sense, right?  Fuhuhu.  Oh, and if you DO hurt Asgore... I'll take the human SOULs, cross the barrier, and beat the hell out of you!  That's what friends are for, right?"  Undyne grins at them.  They smile back, uncertainly.  "Fuhuhu!  Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!"

Undyne guides them outside.  They look at her burning house together.  "Well, that was fun, huh?"  No, not at all, but they nod anyway to be polite.  "We'll have to hang out again another time...!  But, uh, somewhere else I guess.  In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang with Papyrus.  So if you need me, drop by Snowdin, okay!?"  They nod, smiling - this time, with more confidence.  Undyne snaps her fingers.  "OH!  And if you ever need help... Just give Papyrus a ring, ok?  Since we're in the same spot, I'll be able to talk too!  Well, see ya later, punk!!"

They stop Undyne before she goes.  "Please don't tell anyone," they say.  She looks at them, frowning.

"About what?" she asks.  Earlier, of course.  You know...  The realization dawns on her.

"Nah, I won't.  But you should probably talk to someone about... that thing.  Maybe Dr. Alphys?  She's super smart."  They nod.  "Alright, punk!  Later!"  Undyne leaves.  They take a deep breath.  Look at what they just did.

Hotland?  It's going to be a breeze.  They feel determined.

The riverperson is in front of the docks where Gerson is.  Something seems different.  Has their boat... changed?

"Tra la la~  Care for a ride?" they ask, unworried.  Frisk nods.  "Where will we go today?"  Hotland, of course.  "Then we're off..."

Frisk climbs in the boat.  And then it  _stands up_!  On four legs!  It runs across the water.  They stare - this is not normal boat behavior...  But the boat obviously doesn't care.  They go forward, the same direction they did to get to Waterfall, but somehow they're at Hotland's docks anyway.

They climb off, shakily.  "Come again some time.  Tra la la~" sings the riverperson.  Frisk nods and heads towards Hotland.

First they go to the gate, where there are guards.

"Sorry...  Undyne, like, told us there was totally a human in the area," one of the guards says, "So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators for now.  Ngah!  Even if the elevators aren't working anyway, we'll do our best, Ms. Undyne!"  They admired the guard's dedication, but it didn't make them easier for them.  So... through the laboratory it is.  They stare for a moment, gathering their courage, but then move forward.

The lab is dark.  They can barely see anything, but there's a big screen and it's emitting light...

Oh.

_Oh._

It's showing them.  They tap it, and the image of them on the screen taps back.  They move forward then, and run into several things.  Finally, they notice a shadowy figure - and then the room lights up.  The figure turns to them.  It's some sort of yellow dinosaur or lizard type monster.  She blinks in surprise as she notices them.

"Oh.  My god."  She bounces in place, seeming to be stressed.  "I didn't expect you to show up so soon!  I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and..."  She breaks off, coming, and clears her throat.  "Umm... H-h-hiya!  I'm Dr. Alphys.  I'm Asgore's royal scientist!  B-b-but, ahhhh, I'm not one of the 'bad guys'!"  Nobody Frisk had met was a bad guy?  But - wait, Undyne had said she could be trusted... They're not ready to share, not yet.  And anyway she's still talking.  "Actually, since you stepped out of the ruins, I've, um... been 'observing' your journey through my console."  WELL THAT'S NOT CREEPY AT ALL.   _I feel like we should run.  This screams stranger danger._  Frisk doesn't run, and Chara sighs in frustration.  "Your fights... Your friendships... Everything!  I was originally going to stop you, but watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them."  So what were they going to do now?  "S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you!  Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland!"  Oh, wow, well, that's nice of her.  They nod.   _She still gives me the creeps,_ Chara says.  Frisk doesn't blame them.  "I know a way right to Asgore's castle, no problem!"

She frowns, then, and looks sheepish.  "Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny issue."  Oh no.   _Oh no,_ echoes Chara to Frisk's silent thoughts.  "A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton.  Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot.  Uh, you know, like a robotic TV star or something.  Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful."  More useful how?  "You know, just some small practical adjustments."  Like what?  "Like, um... Anti... anti-human combat features?"   _Great.  An entertainment robot would be cool.  This?  THIS IS NOT COOL_.  Chara was nearly screaming in Frisk's head.  "Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided that I have to remove those features!  Unfortunantly, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so."   _A big mistake, more likely,_ Chara says,  _I really don't like this one._  "And, um... Now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for blood?  Ehehehehehe... Heh."  Not funny.  Not funny at all.

Frisk stares at Alphys, wondering why the lizard would make such a mistake.  Combat features with an entertainment robot?  Okay!  Easy to handle!  Blood-thirsty human killer?  Worse than Undyne!  You can't reason with ROBOTS!

"But, ummm, hopefully we won't run into him!"  A loud metallic noise shakes the building.  Alphys looks confused.  They think they know where this is going; Alphys jinxed them.  "Did you hear something?" she asks after another metallic bump.  They nod.  It gets louder and more frequent, until it seems... like it's right next to them.  "Oh no," Alphys whispers.

"OHHH YES!"  It's a robotic voice, and the room goes dark as a robot bursts in from the wall.  "WELCOME, BEAUTIES... TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!!!"  A spotlight shines on the robot suddenly.   _Where did that come from?_ Chara wonders.  The robot is square, and lights up, and glitzy.

Music starts to play.  A sign lights up, the room gets brighter.  Disco balls fall down from the ceiling.  "OH BOY!" Mettaton cheers, "I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW!"  Is it, really?  "EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT!"  Mettaton claps.  "NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?  NO PROBLEM!  IT'S SIMPLE!  THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE.  ANSWER CORRECTLY... OR YOU DIE!!!"

The robot shrugs, and Frisk stares at him.  Oh no.  Oh no.  This was very not good.  They're terrified.  Their SOUL leaves their chest.  They look in Alphys's direction as Mettaton poses his question.

"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!!" he declares, "WHAT'S THE PRIZE FOR ANSWERING CORRECTLY?"  Several options appear in front of them.  A: MONEY.  B: MERCY.  C:  NEW CAR.  D: MORE QUESTIONS.  Alphys forms her hands in a D shape.  They reach out with their SOUL and touch the D.  "RIGHT!  SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!"   And it's awful.

"HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE!" he shouts.  It's not terrific at all.  Also, does he have any volume other than 'loud'?  It's not endearing like it is with Papyrus.  "WHAT'S THE KING'S FULL NAME?"  Oh!  They know this one!  They don't even look at Alphys for this one; they know it's Asgore Dreemurr, C."CORRECT!  WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER!"

Next question.  "ENOUGH ABOUT YOU!  LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!  WHAT ARE ROBOTS MADE OF?"  The answers appear in the air again; A: Hopes and Dreams B: Metal&Magic C: Snips&Snails D: Sugar&Spice .  They look to Alphys; she forms the answer 'B' in her hands.  They pick that.  "TOO EASY FOR YOU, HUH?????" Mettatoon croons.  Oh no, it's going to get harder now.

The next question appears on a screen.  Frisk can't read it fast enough, so Chara reads it for them.   _Two trains, Train A and Train B, simaltenously depart from Station A and Station B.  Station A and Station B are 252.5 miles apart from each other.  Train A is moving at 124.7mph towards Station B, and Train B is moving at 263.5mph towards Station A.  If both trains departed at 10:00AM and it is now 10:00, how much longer until both trains pass each other?_

There is no way they can get this.  It's too hard.  The timer moves down.   _Look at Alphys,_ Chara encourages.  They look.  She's forming a 'D' with her hands.  They pick the 'D' answer with only a second to spare.  "WONDERFUL!  I'M ASTOUNDED, FOLKS!"  Frisk relaxes, but just slightly.  They know there's more, difficult questions ahead.  "DON'T 'COUNT' ON YOUR VICTORY..." Mettaton says, as if to prove the point.

"HOW MANY FLIES ARE IN THIS JAR?" Mettaton asks, producing a jar.  They look between the bugs; there's no way they can count them, not with them moving around like they are.  Alphys forms the answer with her hands - A.  They pick A.  "CORRECT!  YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY!!!"  Lucky?  Is Mettaton... expecting them to guess these?  Well, they can't blame the robot for that.

"LET'S PLAY MEMORY GAME," Mettaton says, "WHAT MONSTER IS THIS?"  The screen shows a corner of an eye... oh!  Froggit!  They glance over at Alphys - she's shaking her head and she's formed her hands into a D.  Mettaton?  Well, okay... "I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED!" he exclaims, as the screen pans out to show Mettaton wearing a Froggit shirt.  Oh.

"BUT CAN YOU GET THIS ONE??  WOULD YOU SMOOCH A GHOST?"  All the answers are 'heck yeah'.  Alphys shrugs at Frisk, her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she looks at Mettaton.  They pick randomly.  "GREAT ANSWER!  I LOVE IT!!!!!"   _The timer was going up,_ Chara points out.  Really?  That was... okay.  That was weird.  And a welcome break in difficulty.

"HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE," Mettaton says.  The question appears on the screen, and Frisk is able to read this one.  How many letters in the name Mettaton?  Oh, okay!  That IS simple! ...until the screen starts adding 'n's to the name, and the numbers under all the answers start going up.  They look to Alphys, panicked and worried she can't help them, but her hands are formed in a 'C' shape.  They press C, eyes closed, and hope it's right.  "OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU!"  They sigh in relief.

"TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS!!" Mettaton exclaims, "IN THE DATING SIMULATION GAME 'MEW MEW KISSY CUTIE' WHAT IS MEW MEW'S FAVORITE FOOD?" ...that's a... random question.

Alphys pipes up, waving her hand excitedly.  "OH! OH!  I KNOW THIS ONE!  IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM!!!! IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH!!  AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS!!!  BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT!!!!!  IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and..."  Alphys trails off.  It seems like she wanted to stop sooner than she did, but momentum carried her speech forward.

"ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS," Mettaton scolds, "YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANT, ARE YOU?"  She shakes her head furiously.  "OOOOH!  YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME.  I'LL ASK A QUESTION YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO!  WHO DOES DR. ALPHYS HAVE A CRUSH ON?"  The lizard monster in question ( _Frisk, no, why the pun,_ Chara complains) buries her head in her hands and mumbles 'no, no, nooo...' over and over again.

A: UNDYNE B: ASGORE C: THE HUMAN D: DON'T KNOW.

The only honest answer is D.  They pick it, cringing and expecting it to be wrong, but...  "CORRECT," Mettaton announces.  What?  They blink in surprise.  Alphys gives them a thumbs-up.  "DR. ALPHYS HAS A CRUSH ON THE UNKNOWABLE."  She scowls at Mettaton.  "YOU SEE, ALPHYS BELIEVES THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE.  SOMEONE WATCHING HER."  Now the lizard fidgets uncomfortably, looking embarrassed.  "SOMEONE SHE THINKS IS 'CUTE' AND 'INTERESTING'.  HELLO, THEORETICAL PERSON.  DR. ALPHYS LIKES YOU.  TOO BAD YOU ARE NOT REAL."  She scowls at the robot again as he plays a derisive laughtrack.

"H-hey, I've done research about this!" she says, "There are alternate universes out there!  S-someday, maybe, I could meet them..."

"YOU SAID THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT 'MEW MEW KISSY CUTIE'," Mettaton replies, "BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.  PERSON, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE, HOW ABOUT GIVING US A SIGN, RIGHT NOW?"

Silence reigns, Alphys looking nervous.  Nothing happens.   _Hello!_ Chara says,  _I'm watching you!_  Frisk has to bite their lip to keep from giggling; Chara is pleased with their self.

"THAT SETTLES THAT, DOESN'T IT?" he declares after a few minutes, "WELL WELL WELL.  WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU, THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION!  WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS!!  BUT.  BUT!!!  THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE!!  NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA!  MORE ROMANCE!!!  MORE BLOODSHED!!!  UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS...!!!"  With that, Mettaton folds in on himself and shoots off as a rocket.  Their SOUL returns to their chest, and they sigh in relief.

Alphys watches the hole in her wall.  "Well that was certainly something," she says, trying to keep a light tone.  Frisk takes the opportunity to look around.  They find a half-full bag of dog food, a fridge filled with instant noodles (Frisk takes a packet) and soda ( _That's why Undyne had the soda, I bet!  She didn't seem like a soda person!_ Chara exclaims), and just as they're about to look around the desk Alphys runs up to them.

"W-wait!  Let me give you my ph-phone number!  Th-then... m-maybe... If you need help, I could..."  She trails off.  They pull out their phone, and Alphys gasps when she sees it.  "Wh... where'd you get that phone!?  It's ANCIENT!  It doesn't even have texting.  W-wait a second, please!"  They hand her their phone, and she rushes off before returning, later, with a phone that looks much nicer and newer.

"Here, I upgraded it for you!"  It's the same phone?  That's really cool.  "It can do texting, items, it's got a key chain... I even signed you up for the Underground's No. 1 social network!  Now we're officially friends!  Ehehehehe! Heheh...  Heh..."  She trails off again.  Her laughter sounds forced, like she doesn't really want to laugh.   _She's secretly a human, too, and she's trying to pretend she's not._  Frisk forces their face to remain blank at Chara's comment.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she says suddenly after a long lapse of silence.  She rushes off, and they follow.  They watch her feet as she dances from behind the door, before moving to snoop through her desk.  They find a figurine, a teacup that looks a lot like Undyne's, a computer, and lots of notes.  Nothing of note, other than a cute garbage can next to the desk.

There's an escalator moving 'up'; they step on and are on the next level.  There's bookshelves; scientific books, human history, human history - wait, no.  They're DVDs of various cartoons.  And something else.   _A VHS tape,_ Chara informs them.  Oh.  Okay.   _It's like a DVD, but you have to rewind it and it needs a different player._  Ohhh!  That makes sense.

They turn away from the bookshelves.  There's a strange machine dripping pink goop (ew), a dusty work table (above it is a picture from some sort of anime), a wardrobe filled with lab coats, unopened letters and a lamp with no lightbulb on a dresser, and a weird box.

Just before the escalator down, there's a poster.  It's of Mettaton, but Frisk doesn't bother trying to read it and Chara doesn't want to.  They both have the general idea of what it is for.

Having explored the lab, they head outside to the door they saw.  Time to explore Hotland.

Just as they walk out, their phone beeps.  They open it.  There's been a status update from Alphys.  They read it, slowly.   **just realized i didn't watch undyne fight the human v.v**  Okay then... a few more steps, and -  **well i know she's something. **i'll ask her abt it later ^.^**  ** They don't like that Alphys uses shorthands - it's harder for them to understand.  And what are those weird symbols?   _Unbeatable,_ Chara begins,  _It means can't be beat.  The symbols are emojis._ Oh!  They know what emojis are.

Beep!   **for now i gotta call up the human and guide them =^.^=** _Really?  All these cat emojis... Ugh.  I suspected it before, but now I_ know. _Alphys is pure weeaboo trash._  Frisk is confused, but Chara refuses to answer them.  Frisk keeps walking while they wait for her call.

They go across a long conveyor belt.  On the ride, Alphys updates her status again.  It's too much.  Chara agrees.   **gonna call them in a minute!!! =^.^=**  Why are they posting about calling but not calling?  Doesn't she have their number?

They walk a little, and then ride another conveyor belt forward.  They feel determined.  They have help.  Shy, anxious,  _weeaboo trash,_ (Chara, that's rude!) help, but help nonetheless.  They faced Undyne alone.  They can totally do it with help.  A little bit of their SOUL lingers as they walk on.

The phone beeps.  Alphys again.   **I HATE USING THE PHONE I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS LMAO ^.^**  Is that why she's putting it off?  Well, they have more sympathy for that, if she has a reason.  They wonder if she's going to announce their journey to the whole Underground.  Then everyone would know who they are and where they are...  _Frisk, don't panic.  We made friends with Undyne, remember?_  Right!  And Undyne said Alphys was smart.  She should be trustworthy, too, then.

They come to some steam vents.  With arrows?  They step on an arrow - and are thrown across a gap!  Woah.  That was cool.  They leap from platform to platform that way, laughing.  It's so much fun!  They even ignore Alphys's latest status, only clicking the notification to get rid of it.  They're having fun!

They hop their way until they find a frying pan.  Oh, no.  It's one of the items from the dead kids, they bet.  They reach forward, closing their eyes.  The vision happens.

_"You know, I'm happier Underground than I ever was in the surface," she says, running her hands over the old pan.  "Isn't that dumb?  I had sunlight and a whole world to explore.  And now.... I just want to stay here."_

_She shrugs at the big goat monster as he nods slowly._

_"I understand," he says in a deep voice, "You can stay here, if you want.  For as long as you want.  I don't want to fight you.  But time... well, we all have more time than you."_

_"Really?  You really mean that?"  She smiles brightly at him.  "Thank you, Mr. Dreemurr.  You really are a kind king."_

So that's what Asgore looks like.  A kind old man.  A lot... like Toriel.  And he let her stay?  They wonder what happened to the girl, because surely she died young like all the rest.  It would make sense that way.

Finally, after all the platforms, someone calls.  Only to hang up..?  Weird.  Frisk moves forward.  They run into a monster who offers to heal them.  They say thank you and let them do so.  Ow...!  That's not healing!  Frisk cringes away, and the monster seems upset.  So they say that they did a very good job and force a thumbs-up.

That cheers the monster up, and they run off happily.  Frisk sighs in relief.

Alphys finally calls.  "Uhh!  H-hi, so, the blue lasers... Uhh!  I mean, Alphys here!  Hi!  The blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move!  O-orange ones, um...  Y-you have to be moving, and they... Um, they won't, um... Move through those ones!"  Alphys sounds done, but she hesitates.  "Uhh, bye!"  She hangs up quickly.  Okay, that's actually really helpful.

Immediately after, Alphys updates her status.   **OMG I DID IT!!!  claws haven't shook like that since undyne called me to ask about the weather... v.v**  Yeah, she did sound very nervous on the phone.   _She's a scaredy cat,_ Chara declares.  Frisk scolds them.

They're moving through the lasers when Alphys updates her status again.  They wait until they're on the other side before checking.   **WAIT THERE'S NO WEATHER DOWN HERE WHY DID SHE CALL ME**  Wait... does Undyne have a crush on Alphys?   _Blackmail_ , Chara says gleefully.  They're scolded again.   _You're no fun,_ they complain.

Frisk presses a switch on the other side to deactivate the lasers.  That wasn't too hard.  And now they have an easy way back.  They wonder why the monsters just leave the puzzles on.  After all, surely people are walking through here all the time?  Well, maybe not.

Alphys's next status is rather distressed.   **Oh My God i Forgot to Tell THem Where To Go**  They wonder how much her claws are shaking this time.  Though the way forward seems pretty straightforward.  Chara groans at the pun.

The next status is a picture of the garbage can in Alphys's house (the lab?) with a sparkly filter.   **CUte PIC OF ME RIGHT NOW ^.^**  Right after that, she calls again.

"A-A-Alphys here!!!!  Th... the northern door will stay locked until you s-solve the puzzles on the right and left!  I... I think you sh-should g-g-go to the right first!"  Her words make sense - the arrow-tile-steam-thing is rotating in front of them, and there's three directions.  They wait until it will push them to the right, and then jump on it quickly.  They moved so fast to catch it that it hurts a little when they land, but they keep going.

Two monsters are hanging out by a door to a room.  Frisk talks to one.  "The way to work is blocked, so I had time to catch Mettaton's show on my phone... The special effects were amazing today!  That human almost looked REAL!"  Uh-oh.  That human was real.  It was them!  They say nothing, though, and just nod stiffly.  They don't bother talking to the other one.

Alphys's next status update involves the puzzle and asks about explaining it.  They shrug.  So far the puzzles have been pretty easy; they're sure they won't have a problem.  It is really easy, and they happily move on to the left side.  They move so quick they get hurt again, but it's okay.

There are two students on this side; they talk about school.  Frisk solves the puzzle.  Finally, they head forward, through the freshly-unlocked door.  Alphys's status is about explaining the puzzle.  The puzzles they already solved.  She calls them.

"Uuh, I think... Um... Hey!  About the puzzles on the left and right...!"  They interrupt her to inform her they already solved them.  "...uhh, you already s-solved them?"  That's what they just said, yes.  "Awesome!"  They're glad she doesn't seem too put off about it.

There's three platforms in a row this time, and they hop on an arrow - only to land on the next arrow-tile, and be pushed to the next one!  They laugh.  There's no arrows to send them back, which is disappointing, because they totally want to go across that again.  Oh well.

 Interestingly enough, this platform is tiled instead of rock.  They stare down at their feet until they find themselves in a pitch black room.  They crawl, slowly, until Alphys calls them.  "H-hey, it's kind of dark in there, isn't it?"  They nod, before realizing they were on the phone.  Then again, Alphys has cameras everywhere.  Still, it's too dark to see.  "Don't worry!  I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!"  That's... really convenient.  They like that.

The lights come on.  They're in a... kitchen?  "Oh no," Alphys says.   _Oh no_ ,  Chara repeats.  Oh no, Frisk thinks.

"OHHHH YES!!!" Mettaton croons, rising up from his hiding spot underneath the counter.  "WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!!!"  If there was one thing the robot was, it was dramatic.  "PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY!  WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING... A CAKE!"  ...That sounds good.  This won't be too bad!

"MY LOVELY ASSISTANT HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS," Mettaton says, gesturing at them.  "EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!!!"  He claps; they can't help but do a little bow as confetti rains down over them.  "WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK, AND EGGS.  GO FOR IT, SWEETHEART!"  What about flour?  That's an important ingredient.  They shrug and decide not to argue with him.  The ingredients are all sitting on the back counter, and they bring them to where Mettaton is, setting them gently in a pile.

"PERFECT!  GREAT JOB, BEAUTIFUL!" he croons, "WE'VE GOT ALL THE INGREDIENTS WE NEED TO BAKE THE CAKE!  MILK... SUGAR... EGGS... OH MY!  WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT!  HOW COULD I FORGET!!!  WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!"  Flour?

Mettaton pulls out a chainsaw.  Oh, no.  "A HUMAN SOUL!!!!"  He approaches them, and they take a few terrified steps back.  A phone rings.  "HELLO...?  I'M KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE," he says, annoyed, into the phone.

"W-wait a second!!!"  That's Alphys's voice.  "Couldn't you make a... Couldn't you use a... Couldn't you make a substitution in the recipe?!"

"A SUBSTITUTION?" Mettaton asks, "YOU MEAN, USE A DIFFERENT, NON-HUMAN INGREDIENT? ...WHY?"

"Uhh, what if someone's... Vegan?" Alphys suggests.

"...VEGAN."

"Well I mean -"

"THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA, ALPHYS!!  ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE!!!  MTT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVOR-SUBSTITUTE!  A CAN OF WHICH... IS JUST OVER ON THAT COUNTER!!!"  He points to a single counter far away.  It looks like it's on some sort of spring or something...  "WELL, DARLING?  WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?  WHAT'S THE MATTER?  NOT A CAN FAN?  THAT'S TOO BAD!  MTT-BRAND USES ONLY THE FRESHEST ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS AND CHEMICALS!"  Frisk carefully walks around him and heads for the counter.

When they arrive, it sinks down against the spring and then, suddenly, becomes much... much... MUCH taller.  Mettaton says, "BY THE WAY, OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE.  IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT MINUTE... WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN!!!"  Which involves their death.  Great.  "SO... BETTER START CLIMBING, BEAUTIFUL."

Their phone rings; it's Alphys (who else?).  "Oh no!!!  There's not enough time to climb up!"  Alphys goes quiet, breathing heavily.  "F-f-fortunately, I might have a plan!  When I was upgrading your phone, I added a few... features.  You see that huge button that says... 'Jetpack'?  Watch this!"  They press the button.  The phone shifts, and... well, it becomes a jetpack.

They start flying up.  "There!"  Alphys says, "You should have just enough fuel to reach the top!  Now, get up there!!!"

As they fly, Mettaton flies just above them.  He throws eggs, milk, and sugar down at them.  They dodge everything, and soon they're laughing.  They're having... fun!  Even though their life is in danger, this is still... a lot of fun.

They make it with seconds to spare and grab the soul substitute.

"MY MY," Mettaton says, "IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME.  BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!  OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT HER!!!"  No, he didn't.  He was trying to kill them, after all.  Still - it seems like Mettaton and Alphys are something of friends.

"WELL, TOODLES!!!"  He begins to fly off, before suddenly flying back.  Frisk just sort of... stares at him.

"OH YES!  ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION... HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE?  I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME!!!  SO FORGET IT!!!"  Their phone turns back into a phone, and they stare after where Mettaton left.  They wish they know where the cameras are, so they can look directly at one and show everyone just how confused they are.

Their phone rings with Alphys again. "Wow!  We... we did it!!  We... we really did it!!!  Great job out there, team!"   _Hey, she's acknowledging me!_ Chara jokes.  Frisk has to choke down their giggles again.  Their headmate is really amusing.  They appreciate them.   _Well, I appreciate you too, Frisk,_ Chara says.  "W-well, uh, anyway, let's keep heading forward!"  With that, Alphys hangs up.

Their friendship with Chara... Being able to escape Mettaton once more... It fills them with determination.

In the distance, they see a creepy building.  It's big and it fills the space beyond.  The caverns underground are surprisingly wide, allowing for them to feel almost like they're above ground.  But they're not - moments when it presses in close, or when they look up expecting to see stars hits that home.  Alphys calls.

"S-see that building in the distance?  That's the CORE.  The source of all power for the Underground.  It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by... Uhh, anyway, that's where we're going to go.  In the CORE is an elevator directly to Asgore's castle.  And from there... you can go home."

They don't really want to go home.  They don't even know why they're moving forward, sometimes.  Most of the time.  All they know are the visions of kids long dead, compelling them forward.

Past the view of the CORE there's an elevator.  They can go to 'left floor 1' or 'right floor 2'.  One sounds like down.  Two, at least, would keep them on the same level.  Or go up.  They press the second option, staring at all the gray buttons that don't appear to work.

Outside the elevator is a flame monster.  "Heh.  I'm Heats Flamesman.  Remember my name!"  They shrug and nod.  Might as well, right?

Right next to the elevator is Sans.  The monster who tried to heal them before is there eating a hot dog.  They walk up to Sans.

"hey buddy, what's up?  wanna buy a hot dog?  it's only 30G."  They shrug; they don't have any money.  "that's a shame.  take one anyway.  it's on the house."  Sans puts the hot dog, minus the bun, on their head.  "well, no.  it's on you."  They grin, standing very still, and gesture for Sans to put another one on their head.  "here. have fun."

They keep having Sans stack hot dogs on their head, standing with a big grin and staying very still.  Chara groans as they keep gathering hot dogs.  Finally, Sans pulls the plug on the hot dog tower on their head.  "i'll be 'frank' with you.  as much as i like putting hot dogs on your head... thirty is just an excessive number.  twenty-nine, now that's fine, but thirty... does it look like my arms can reach that high?"  It doesn't look like his arms can reach up to 29, yet he managed to put hot dogs up that high.  They don't say anything, though.

Instead, they carefully begin to walk, trying to balance the hot dogs still.  But walking ruins it.  No matter how carefully they try to walk, the hot dogs fall off, scattering on the ground.  They're disappointed, but they wave at Sans and move on.

_You're crazy._

Maybe just for hot dogs on your head.  After all...

_No._

It was a prime example

_Don't you dare._

of having to

_Stop it._

ketchup with your dogs.

_...That was terrible._

They know.  This one is better.

_Frisk please._

It was a prime example of having to keep your head balanced.

_That is not better._

Their phone beeps, and they check.  It's a picture Alphys posted, of a catgirl figurine next to a bowl of instant noodles.  The caption reads  **dinner with the girlfriend ;)**.  Speaking of dinner... Their stomach rumbles.  They sit down and open up the instant noodles.  No good without being cooked.   _Are you kidding me?  Cooking it is so gross._   Chara's the crazy one, they decide as they munch on the instant noodles, grimacing.  At least they're not cold anymore - actually, they're pretty warm, which makes sense since Hotland's so... hot.

So the noodles are... okay.  They still prefer them cooked but they're not completely gross.  Once they finish the noodles, they take a moment to play with their phone.  There's lots of new buttons and gadgets on here, not just 'jetpack'.  Something called 'defuse'... 'dimensional box'... There's two of those, A and B.  They press A.  A box, like the one before, appears.  They open it.  Oh!  All the stuff they put inside the boxes before is there.  That's neat.

They realize they missed an update, from 'CoolSkeleton95'.  They have a feeling that's Papyrus.   **ARE WE POSTING HOT "PICS???" HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND**.  They giggle at it - it's really just Papyrus in the mirror.  It has a lot of editing done to it - biceps are pasted on his arms, with sunglasses, and it's just all-together silly.

They come across a fork in the road, and look both ways.  Finally they head downward - they though it was a dead end.  As they do, they notice "Napstablook22" sent them a friend request.  They accept it, eagerly... only to find it already rejected itself.  They look sadly at the phone.  They like Napstablook.

That's when they see the apron.  Oh, dear.  They reach forward, slowly, and grab it.

_She's laughing as she cooks, talking animatedly with the monster.  He's a nice guy, someone she can appreciate.  She gives him his meal, smiling brightly.  He gives her some gold.  She tries to refuse, but he won't hear of it._

_"You cook for me every day, let me do something for you."  She wishes she could tell him it's enough that he doesn't tell anyone she's a human.  But that meant saying that thing they never talked about, their unspoken truce._

_They know of one human who came before her, and whoever he was he didn't leave a very good impression.  She was always raised to be kind and compassionate, but she knew not everyone was.  So she did her best.  She wanted to change the monsters' perceptions of humans.  Humans... why, they could be anything._

It's a good memory, and they stare at the apron.  They can still feel the kindness from the human who wore it.  They open up the dimensional box and fold the apron away, almost reverently.  They hope they'll remember something more from this human, even though so far they've all only had two items.  Still, they did remember an extra thing before.

Alphys calls them as they move on.  "H... hi...!  It's Dr. Alphys.  This p-puzzle is kinda... um... timing-based.  Y-you see those switches over there?  Y-you'll have to press all three of them within three seconds.  I'll t-try to help you with the rhythm!"  Okay, three switches within three minutes?  They can do it.  The switches are on a conveyor belt/escalator thing.  They'll just run by the switches as they flip them.

Alphys calls them in the middle, throwing off their rhythm.  "OK!  Now press the third one!!!"  They sigh as they come to the end of the conveyor belt.  "H-h-hey!  Looks like you!!!  Only needed to press!  Two of them!!!"  They look, and see the energy field that was there is gone.  Chara is suspicious.   _Once is a coincidence.  Twice is a pattern,_ they say,  _I think she knows more... **is doing more**... than she lets on.  Don't trust her._

But she's been so helpful!   _Maybe so,_ Chara agrees,  _But I'm still nervous._  Well, they can BE nervous.  Frisk will continue to trust her.

Alphys's status updates.   **that's the last time I try to help with a puzzle lmao**.  Except now there's a really hard one.  They're nervous.  Thankfully, she calls.  "Uhh, h-h-hey!  I'm going to the bathroom, so I'll be MIA for a bit.  I'm... I'm sure you can handle this puzzle yourself!"  Right when they need her!  That isn't fair.

They step on a tile with a red dot; the dot lights up and they press down.  So just... light up all the tiles?  Okay.  They can do that.  They jump to the next platform with the next tile.  The steam vent arrows switch directions.

Oh.  So they just need to get to the other side then.  That's... that's actually a little easier!  Except it's not; Frisk probably spends an exhausting hour trying to figure out where to go.  At last they make it to the other side.  Alphys should be done in the bathroom by now, right?

They see she updates her status.   **OMG?  ppl think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1?  LOLLLLL that's a joke right...**  Frisk begins to move forward, and then Alphys updates her status again.   **omg... DONT THEY GET IT RUINS Mew Mew's ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC?** They take a deep breath and keep walking.  For some reason... they feel angry.  Until they realize it's Chara who feels angry.  Another status update, relating to Mew Mew Kissy Cutie:  **My Mew Mew 2 Review: Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 Is Neither Kissy Nor Cutie.  Its Trash. 0 stars.**

Chara can't hold it in anymore.   _Oh, so she's one of those anime purists!  No, no!  Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 has better art, better story, better consistency!  I mean the whole first half of season 1 is random filler nonsense episodes!  It gets, like, half a  plot for the second half of the season and Mew Mew loses what development she had entirely.  Everyone becomes cardboard cutouts of characters.  It's awful!  And the animation errors - don't get me STARTED!  Okay, I'll give you that Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 ignores season 1 almost entirely.  But season 1 was shit.  Mew Mew 2 gives it story, gives Mew Mew character, creates actual events_ and _stays closer to the game canon.  Like, how does she like Mew Mew 1 better??? BECAUSE IT WAS THE ORIGINAL.  That's the only way you like it.  Nevermind it was based off of a series of dating sims and rpg's in the first place, it just - ew._

Frisk is shocked.  They didn't know Chara liked anime.  Or that they had an opinion on Mew Mew Kissy Cutie.  Or anything.  That was probably the most emotional they've gotten, other than...

Frisk doesn't want to remember that.

They see a computerized safe.  Looking inside, there's cheese.  There's a mouse hole nearby.  That mouse will get the cheese.   _Better believing the impossible than liking Mew Mew 1,_ Chara grumbles.  They can't help but feel determined.

Suddenly, someone calls out.  "Hey!  You!  Stop!"  They turn around.  Oh, there's the guards from before!  "We've, like, received an anonymous tip about a human wearing a striped shirt.  They told us they were wondering around Hotland right now... I know, sounds scary, huh?  Well, just stay chill.  We'll bring you someplace safe, OK?"  Someplace safe sounded good.  They wanted to go someplace safe.

The other guard whispered to the talkative one.  "...Huh?  What is it, bro?  The shirt they're wearing?"  Uh-oh... "...like, what about it?"  They both look at Frisk.  "Bro," the guard says, "Are you thinkin... what I'm thinkin?  Bummer.  This is, like... Mega embarrassing.  We, like, actually totally have to kill you and stuff."  Oh no.  Another fight.  Their SOUL burns bright red as it hovers in front of them.

"Team attack!" they say.  It's not in unison, and one guard is obviously quieter with it.   _Hey, the quiet guard?  His armor looks very stuffy._  Chara's right; it does.   _Clean it, maybe, and he'll take it off?_  They start to clean the armor.  The guard fans himself.  "Getting warmer," he whispers.

Okay, this is working!  He takes the armor off.  Suddenly, the other guard can't stop looking at him.  Frisk encourages him to be honest with his feelings.

Finally, he speaks.  "D-dude... I can't... I can't take this anymore!  Not like this!!!  Like, 02, I like... I like, LIKE you, bro!  The way you fight... The way you talk..."   _Or don't talk,_ Chara says, snickering.  "I love doing team attacks with you.  I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync.... O2... I, like, want to stay like this forever..."

02 is silent, and Frisk is afraid he won't respond.  The other guard gets panicky.  "Uh... I mean, uh... Psyche!  Gotcha, bro!!!  Haha!"  Frisk gives the guard a firm look.

"...01," the quieter guard finally says, "...do you want to... get some ice cream... after this?"

"Sure, dude!  Haha!"  01 calms down.  The two leave, and Frisk's SOUL returns to their chest.  They smile.  How romantic!   _How gross,_ Chara corrects.  Oh, whatever.  Maybe Chara's just jealous.  They snort at that.

 **oopswait how's the human doing** comes Alphys's sudden status.  Just fine, thank you.  They played matchmaker for two guards and it was great.  Another Update follows:  **Top 10 Shows That Make You Forget To Do Your Frickin Job**.  This will be an interesting list.

But no list follows.  Instead, Frisk finds themselves in a pitch black room.  Oh no.  This does not bode well.

Their phone rings.  "Okay, I'm back!" Alphys says.  About time.  "A-another dark room, huh?  Don't worry!  M-my hacking skills have got things covered!"  The lights come on.  "Are you serious?!" Alphys exclaims.  They're not really sure what the problem is.  That is, until...

"OHHHHHH YESSS!!!" booms Mettaton, as music begins to play.  News anchor music.  "GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES!  THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING LIVE FROM MTT NEWS!  AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND!  FORTUNATELY, OUR CORRESPONDENT IS OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE!  BRAVE CORRESPONDENT!  PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT!  OUR TEN WONDERFUL VIEWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!!"

They can do that.  They don't mind playing along with Mettaton.  They start to wander around, looking for something 'newsworthy'... until they see the dog.  They make a beeline and start to pet it.  Chara groans.  Frisk and dogs...

"WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY!" Mettaton exclaims, "I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW: 'A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE'."  That's certainly newsworthy.  The fact that dogs exist is great.   _No it's not,_ Chara says, annoyed.  Mettaton, heedless of the internal dialogue, continues.  "FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY.  ATTENTION, VIEWERS.  OUR CORRESPONDENT HAS FOUND... A DOG!"  A soundtrack of 'awww' plays.  Dogs are perfect.  "THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS!  IT'S THE FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE YEAR!  LOOK AT ITS LITTLE EARS, TINY PAWS, FLUFFY TAIL... WAIT A SECOND.  THAT'S NOT A TAIL!  THAT'S... A FUSE!!!"

 _ **WHAT?!**_  Frisk stares at the dog, where the tail is now alight.  WHAT SWEET BETRAYAL IS THIS, HOW COULD SUCH A PRECIOUS CREATURE BE A BOMB?!  EVERYTHING IS WRONG.  POOR DOGGY.   _Frisk, calm down,_ Chara scolds angrily.  They can't calm down!  It's a dog!  AND IT'S A BOMB!  That's... that's sacrilege!   _How do you know such a big word_ , Chara begins, but Frisk is still panicking and Mettaton is still talking.

"THAT'S RIGHT... THAT DOG... IS A BOMB!!!  BUT DON'T PANIC!  YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE REST OF THE ROOM YET!!!"  Oh, no.  They look everywhere.  "OH MY!  IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY A BOMB!  THAT PRESENT'S A BOMB!  THAT BASKETBALL'S A BOMB!  EVEN MY WORDS ARE...!  BRAVE CORRESPONDENT... IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL OF THE BOMBS... THIS BIG BOMB WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN TWO MINUTES!  THEN YOU WON'T BE REPORTING 'LIVE' ANY LONGER!  HOW TERRIBLE!  HOW DISTURBING!  OUR NINE VIEWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS!  GOOD LUCK, DARLING!"  With that, Mettaton flies away.

Alphys calls immediately.  "D-don't worry!  I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone."   _Twice is a pattern.  Three times is evidence,_ Chara said, referring to earlier,  _She's working with Mettaton, in some way.  Something is fake.  Something is_ wrong _here._  Frisk ignores them.  They have to.  "Use the 'defuse' option when the bomb is in the Defuse Zone!  N-now, go get 'em!"

They manage to defuse all the bombs just in time.  The bombs bounce around, and then the phone lights up green and they'd press 'defuse' and the bomb would be... defused.  When the dog is defused it hops off happily, which makes them sort of angry because  _why would you turn a dog into a bomb_?!  That's just mean.

Five seconds are left when they finish, and Mettaton returns.  "WELL DONE, DARLING!  YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL OF THE BOMBS!  IF YOU DIDN'T DEACTIVATE THEM, THE BIG BOMB WOULD HAVE EXPLODED IN TWO MINUTES.  NOW IT WON'T EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES!"  Oh no.  That's... very specific.  That makes them nervous.  "INSTEAD IT'LL EXPLODE IN TWO SECONDS!"  WHAT?!   _It should've exploded almost as soon as we defused the water,_ Chara points out,  _It's not going to explode._

"GOODBYE, DARLING!" Mettaton cackles.  Nothing happens.  The robot seems confused.  "AH.  IT SEEMS THE BOMB ISN'T GOING OFF."  Alphys calls.

"That's b-because!!!  While you were monologuing... I...!!!  I f... fix... Um... I ch-change..." she stammers.

"OH NO," Mettaton says, "YOU DEACTIVATED THE BOMB WITH YOUR HACKING SKILLS."   _Okay, Frisk, come on.  This is so suspicious, how are alarm bells not going off in your head?_ Chara snaps.  Okay, it is suspicious.  But certainly, Alphys wouldn't lie to them, not when Undyne trusted her!  Frisk can  _talk_ to her, about her issues maybe.  That means Alphys wouldn't lie.   _You know that's not true,_ they said gently.  Frisk closes their eyes.  They don't want to believe it, but something is definitely... off.

"Yeah!  That's what I did!" Alphys confirms.

"CURSES!  IT SEEMS I'VE BEEN FOILED AGAIN!  CURSE YOU, HUMAN!  CURSE YOU, DOCTOR ALPHYS, FOR HELPING SO MUCH!  BUT I DON'T CURSE MY EIGHT WONDERFUL VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN!!!  UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLING!"  Mettaton leaves.  He sounds like a cartoon villain, really.  And he keeps extolling Alphys's virtues even as he 'curses' her.

"W-wow... W-we really showed him, huh?  ...H-hey, I know I was kind of weird at first, but I really think I'm getting more... Uh, more... M-more confident about guiding you!  S-so don't worry about that b-big d-dumb robot...  I-I'll protect you from him!  A-and if it really c-came down to it, we could just t-turn... Um, nevermind."  Turn him off?  Why didn't Alphys want to do that, if they can?   _A mystery,_ Chara says, but they don't think it is and Frisk is beginning to agree with them.  "Later!"  Alphys hangs up.

They walk forward, trying to push all the negativity from their thoughts and focus on other things.  The phone rings again as they walk past another area where they can see the CORE - it looks closer, now.  It's Alphys, of course.  "Um...  I noticed you've been kind of quiet... Are you w-worried about meeting Asgore?"  Yes, but that's not why they're quiet.  "...W-well, don't worry, okay?  Th-the king is a really nice guy... I'm sure you can talk to him, and w-with your human SOUL, you can pass through the barrier!  S-so no worrying, OK?  J-just forget about it and smile."

Easy for Alphys to say.  She wasn't the one who was in this situation.

Frisk comes across another elevator, and this time they check the label.  'L2', it reads.  This time there are four buttons - Right 1, Right 2, Left 1, Left 3.  Floor three is where they need to go.

They arrive, and as they arrive they see a spider lady.

"Welcome to our parlor, dearie~" she coos, "Interested in some spider pastries?  All proceeds go to real spiders~"  The price is too much - 9999 gold.  They can't afford it, so they move on.  Looks like another puzzle.  Their phone rings.

"Hi, Alphys here!  This room is like the room we saw before.  There are two puzzles to the north and south... You'll have to solve them both to proceed!  ...A-also... I'd like to say!  I don't really... like giving away puzzle solutions.  But if you need help, just call me, ok?"  That's much nicer than before.  "Actually, wait, I have an idea!  Let's be friends on UnderNet!"  Uh, yeah, about that.  They're already friends on UnderNet... "Then you can just ping me when you need help!"  There's a pause as Frisk sighs.  "Wait, we're already friends, aren't we?"  Yup.  "I signed you up, didn't I?"  Yup.  "You've been reading my posts the whole time... Well!  I hope!  You agree with me!  About Mew Mew 2!"   _No, you have a terrible opinion on it,_ Chara scolds.  Frisk struggles not to laugh again as Alphys hangs up.

They hop towards the north, first, flying along the steam vents.  It's still a lot of fun; they love it.  The puzzle is the same as before, in the other rooms, but this one is more difficult.  It takes them several tries to get it.

In the south, they run into an airplane.  "Ah!  Human!" the airplane exclaims nervously.  They approach, and the airplane blushes furiously before flying off.  Okay, then... Airplane monsters were a thing.  They shrug and do the south puzzle, too.

"Hey!  This um, doesn't have anything to do with guiding you... but... ...Uhh, hey, would you want to watch a human TV show together???  Sometime???  It's called, um, M... Mew Mew Kissy Cutie..."   _No,_ Chara says, automatically.  Frisk has never seen it, though.  And they'll try and get Alphys to let them see Mew Mew 2 as well.  Chara gives in.  They agree to see it.  "R-really!?  It's so good!  It's um, my favorite show!"  Alphys launches into a tirade about it, too fast for Frisk to really follow, before finally finishing with, "Uhhh, I think you'd really like it!!!  We should watch it!  After you get through all this!"  Alphys hangs up.   _I can't believe we're going to watch anime with a weeaboo,_  Chara groans.

Frisk ignores them, and solves this puzzle.  There, that's both puzzles solved.  They go to the east, and the door opens.  The next room has a small building in it.  It smells like webs.  Like... spiders.  They enter, nervously, and try to avoid the webs.  A voice echoes around them as they walk.

"Ahuhuhu... Did you hear what they just said?  They said a human wearing a striped shirt will come through.  I heard that they hate spiders.  I heard that they love to stomp on them.  I heard that they like to tear their legs off.  I heard... that they're awfully stingy with their money.  Ahuhuhu..."  The spider-lady from the parlor, selling the pastries, comes down on a thread.  They didn't realize it, but they were slowly going deeper and deeper into a web.

Now they're stuck.  They stare at the spider-lady, and the spiders all around her.  "You think our taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, deary?  Ahuhuhu... I disagree with that notion.  I think your taste... Is exactly what this next batch needs!"  Frisk's SOUL comes from their chest, and they are left staring at the spider woman.

"Don't look so blue, my deary~" she coos as she pours a purple liquid on their SOUL, "I think purple is a better look on you!  Ahuhuhu~"  The liquid dyes their SOUL the same color, and they find that they can only move in certain patterns now.  Oh, dear.

"Why so pale?  You should be proud~" she says, "Proud that you're going to make a delicious cake~  Ahuhuhu~"  Spiders surround Frisk, attacking their SOUL.  They dodge successfully.

"Let you go?  Don't be silly~  Your SOUL is going to make every spider very happy~~~"  She giggles in her strange laugh, as another attack hits.  Wait.  They still have the spider donut.  What if they showed it to her...?

"Oh, how rude of me!  I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet~  It's dinner time, isn't it?  Have fun, you two~"  A ladder forms in front of them, and behind them... her 'pet'.  It looks like a cupcake, a spider-cupcake-hybrid thing, but they only glance back once before they run up the ladder.  Spiders attack them as they go.  They reach the top at last.

They move fast.  Frisk grabs the spider donut from the dimensional box, waving it in front of Muffet.  The spider-lady pauses.

"Huh?  Where did you get that...?  Did you steal it?"  They shake their head, furiously.  They bought it!  "Oh, my pet~  It's time to show them what we do with thieves~"  No!  Suddenly, a spider with a letter runs up to Muffet.  They're shaking as Muffet reads it.  "Huh?  A telegram from the spiders in the Ruins?  What?  They're saying that they saw you, and you helped donate to their cause!  Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding~  I thought you were someone that hated spiders~  The person who asked for that SOUL... They must have meant a DIFFERENT human in a striped shirt~  Sorry for all the trouble~  Ahuhuhu~  I'll make it up to you~  You can come back here any time...  And, for no charge at all...  I'll wrap you up and let you play with my pet again!"  Yeah, they don't think they'll take that offer.  "Ahuhuhuhu~  Just kidding~  I'll spare you now~"  Their SOUL turns bright red again before it returns to their chest, and Muffet unwraps the webs around them.

"Ahuhuhu... That was fun!  See you again, dearie!"  They've never been so happy to leave somewhere in their life.

As they leave the spider house, they notice a poster on the wall.  It's of Mettaton again, some sort of promotional poster.  Chara mentions that the time indicates the performance will be starting soon.  Huh.

They soon realize what's going on when they step onto a stage.  Mettaton comes down, wearing a dress.  He sings a song about them going to a dungeon and dying.  They make funny faces behind the robot, moving around with him.

"SO SAD," he says, "SO SAD THAT YOU ARE GOING TO THE DUNGEON.  WELL, TOODLES!" Mettaton pulls out a remote and presses a button, and Frisk falls down.  The 'dungeon', apparently.

"OH NO!  WHATEVER SHALL I DO?  MY LOVE HAS BEEN CAST AWAY INTO THE DUNGEON.  A DUNGEON WITH A PUZZLE SO DASTARDLY, MY PARAMOUR WILL SURELY PERISH!  O, HEAVENS HAVE MERCY!  THE HORRIBLE COLORED TILE MAZE!  EACH COLORED TILE HAS ITS OWN SADISTIC FUNCTION.  FOR EXAMPLE, A GREEN TILE SOUNDS A NOISE AND THEN YOU MUST FIGHT A MONSTER.  RED TILES WILL ACT AS WALLS, ETC. ETC.  I WON'T WASTE YOUR TIME EXPLAINING IT, I'M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN."

That's... no good.

"OH, AND YOU'D BETTER HURRY," Mettaton adds, "BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH IN 30 SECONDS... YOU'LL BE INCINERATED BY THESE JETS OF FIRE!!  AHAHAHAHAHA!  AHAHAHA... HA... HA!  MY POOR LOVE!  I'M SO FILLED WITH GRIEF I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!"   _Really_ , Chara intones,  _I highly doubt it._  "GOOD LUCK, DARLING!"

Frisk scrambles to the tile puzzle, running around desperately.  Time runs out.  "OOOH, I'M SO SORRY!  LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE OUT OF TIME!!!  HERE COME THE FLAMES, DARLING!!!  THEY'RE CLOSING IN!  GETTING!  CLOSER!  OH MY!"  Frisk could feel the heat from them.  They closed their eyes.  They would die, but that's okay.  They'd wake up again, right?  And if they didn't... that was okay, too.

"ANY MINUTE NOW!!!" Mettaton shouts.  There's a long pause where nothing happens; the robot even coughs.  Their phone rings, and... turns on by itself?  Alphys's voice comes through clearly.

"Watch out!!  I'll save you!!  I'm hacking into the firewall right now!"  Chara groans, their only explanation being _pun_.  Frisk doesn't get it.  Frisk stops feeling the heat of the flames; they open their eyes.

"OH NO!!!" Mettaton gasps, "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN???  FOILED AGAIN BY THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!!"  He begins to say something else, but Alphys interrupts him.

"That's right!" she says, "Come on, Mettaton, give up already!  You'll never be able to defeat us... Not as long as we work together!  Your puzzle's over... Now go home and leave us alone."   _This is a script,_ Chara says,  _This is a script.  Look, Mettaton was even going to feed her her lines.  Look out how much more confident she is when she is_ following the script _than when she's not.  We're a part of Mettaton's show, and Alphys is going along with it._

Maybe.  But that also meant that Mettaton didn't want to kill them, not really, and they liked that.   _Always finding the silver lining,_ Chara sighed at them.

"PUZZLE?  OVER?  ALPHYS, DARLING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT...?  DID YOU FORGET WHAT THE GREEN TILES DO?"  Oh, no.  How many green tiles did they step on?  "THEY MAKE A SOUND, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER.  WELL, DARLING... THAT MONSTER... IS ME!!"  Oh no.

Their SOUL leaves their chest as they face Mettaton.  "THIS IS IT, DARLING!  SAY GOODBYE!" he tells them.  Their phone rings.  "IS THAT YOUR PHONE?  YOU'D BETTER ANSWER IT."

"H-hey!!  Th-this seems bad, but don't worry!!  Th-there's one last thing I installed on your phone...!  You see that yellow button...?  Go to this phone's ACT menu and press it!!!"  They do as Alphys instructed.

Their SOUL flips position and turns yellow, facing Mettaton with its point.  "Now aim bullets at him!" Alphys says.  They don't really understand her instructions, but suddenly...  _ping_!  They hit Mettaton!

"OOOH!  OOOOOH!  YOU'VE DEFEATED ME!"  ...Really?  "HOW CAN THIS BE, YOU WERE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ETC.  WHATEVER LATER."  Mettaton rolls off, and their SOUL returns to their chest.

The phone rings again.  "L-looks like you beat him!  Y-you did a really great job out there."  Frisk stays silent.  It takes a while before Alphys continues.  "...umm, h-hey, this might sound strange, but... c-can I tell you something?  ...B-before I met you, I d-didn't really... I didn't really like myself very much.  For a long time, I f-felt like a total screw-up.  L-like I couldn't do a-anything w-without... W-without ending up letting everyone down.  B-but...!  Guiding you has made me feel... A lot better about myself."  Is that why Mettaton made this script, put together the show?  What a good friend.   _Don't tell her,_ Chara says.  But they can't...  **not** tell her.  "So... thanks for letting me help you."

"Thanks for helping me," Frisk replies, "I... I know what you mean.  About not liking yourself." Alphys goes very, very quiet.  They would think she's hung up, except they can hear her breathing on the other line.  "I don't like myself very much, either.  I came to Mt. Ebott to die.  But I didn't."  They pause, struggling with the next words.

Alphys tries to fill the silence.  "I'm s-sorry to hear th-that... You've been r-really n-nice to everyone..."  They interrupt her.

"And each time I die," they say, their voice barely audible, "I come back to life.  And nobody remembers."

The phone drops.  They hear Alphys's claws scrabbling against it, and the dinosaur-monster manages to get the phone back.  "I d-don't know about th-that.  It s-sounds weird.  B-but.... I hope knowing you're n-not alone... in liking yourself... or n-not... helps."

She clears her throat.  "I m-mean, the t-time travel part, that's th-theoretically... possible, but...  I d-don't really know how to h-help with... with that.  I c-can help by s-saying.... that I'm g-glad you aren't d-dead.  B-because you're... you've p-probably done less h-horrible things than... than me.  S-so, k-keep going, ok?"

Frisk nods.  "Okay," they say.  They do feel a little bit better, knowing Alphys can relate.  "Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome!"  Alphys pauses.  "Uhhh, anyway, we're almost to the CORE.  It's just past MTT Resort.  Come on!  Let's finish this!"  She pauses again, before adding, "Whatever k-keeps you going, keep believing in it!"  Then she hangs up.

Frisk smiles. They feel determined.  They aren't alone.  And Mettaton doesn't really want to kill them.  And Alphys is nice and scared but she's being very brave.  They can totally do this.

They come on the other side of the stage.  There's a lion-monster, the nice cream guy, and the two guards from before.  They approach the lion monster.

"Mettaton looked really... really cool in that dress.  It sort of makes me feel like I could wear one, too!" he says.  They nod.  They don't see why he couldn't wear a dress!  He'd probably look very nice!  Next, they talk to the nice cream bunny.

"Hey!  It's you again!  Business is excellent here!  These two fellas bought ALL my ice cream!  I've actually sold out of everything!!!  ...sorry."  Frisk shrugs; they don't have any money, anyway.  They begin to leave.  "Wait!  I've still got something for you!  ...a big smile!  How about that!"  They smile back at him.

Next, they talk to the guards.  "Oh, hey," 01 says, "We're, like, taking a rain check on that killing-you thing."  They appreciate it.  "Like, don't tell Undyne about this, OK?"  They're pretty sure Undyne wouldn't care at this point, but they won't say anything.  They mime zipping their lips.

Right nearby is another elevator.  Oh, there's Heats Flamesman from before!  They go up to talk to him.

"Hey, hey!  Did you remember my name?"

They nod.  "Heats Flamesman," they say.

His jaw drops.  "Wh-WHAT!?  You REMEMBER!?  How could I be so easily defeateeeeeeeeeed!?"  Now he just sort of... stares at nothing, with a blank expression.  Frisk walks away, slightly disturbed.

 Finally, they climb up stairs.  In front of them is a large, fancy building.  And Sans.  And a note.  They pick it up, and Chara reads the note to them.   _Hey!  Go up the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!_  They look in that direction.   _Don't you dare, Frisk!_ Chara cries, but it is too late.  They've already headed up the alleyway.

There's a store back there, run by an alligator-monster named Bratty and a cat-monster named Catty.  They're very talkative and they tell Frisk a lot of things without Frisk asking.  About Mettaton, about Alphys, about everything.  They were, apparently, hyped for the destruction of humanity.   _Me too,_ Chara agreed.  Frisk did the best they could to not flinch.   _...Sorry._  Did they... actually apologize?  That was new.  Chara didn't respond.

 They look at the stuff Bratty and Catty have, but turn away.  Nothing interests them; it's mostly junk food (literal junk as well as the fast-food kind) and they have no money anyway (they spent all 7G on a spider donut, and now they have... 3G).  So they return to the area in front of the building (MTT Resort it looks like) and approach Sans.

"hey.  i heard you're going to the core.  how about grabbing dinner with me first?"  They nod.  That sounds good.  "great, thanks for treating me." ...they have no money.  "over here.  i know a short cut."  Sans leads them to the alleyway opposite Catty and Bratty's shop.

They take a step with Sans, and suddenly they're at a table in some sort of restaurant.  "well, here we are," Sans says, "so.  your journey's almost over, huh?  you must really wanna go home." Not really, but they keep thinking about the kids that came before them.  Those kids wanted to go home, or most of them.  Frisk wants to free the monsters. So they push on to Asgore.

"hey.  i know the feeling, buddo.  though... maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you.  down here, you've already got food, drink, friends... is what you have to do... really worth it?"  Yes.  They have to free the monsters.  They want to.  They _need_ to, in a way they can't explain.  Sans looks away briefly, thinking, before turning back to them with his eyes closed.  How he does that as a skeleton is beyond them, so they don't bother thinking about it.

"ah, forget it.  i'm rootin' for ya, kid."  That's nice of him, that he wants them to succeed.  They smile at him. "hey.  let me tell you a story."  They settle into their seat.  They love stories!  "so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right?  i sit out there and watch for humans.  it's kind of boring." They nod; they bet it is boring. In all of the memories, the visions, of the other kids, they haven't seen Sans and Papyrus.  The time between the kids much be huge.  "fortunately, deep in the forest, there's this HUGE locked door.  and it's perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes.  so one day, i'm knocking 'em out, like usual.  i knock on the door and say 'knock knock'.  and suddenly, from the other side... i hear a woman's voice. 'who is there'?"  His impression... That sounds a lot like Toriel!  They start to smile.  "so, naturally, I respond: 'dishes'.  'dishes who?'  'dishes a very bad joke.'"  Frisk starts giggling as Chara groans.  "then she just howls with laughter.  like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years.  so i keep 'em coming, and she keeps laughing.  she's the best audience i've ever had.  then, after a dozen of 'em, **she** knocks and says, 'knock knock!'  i say 'whos there?'  'old lady!'  'old lady who?'  'oh! i did not know you could yodel!' " Frisk giggles again, swinging their legs in the air as they lean forward, totally caught up in Sans's story.  They know who that lady is. It's Toriel.

"wow.  needless to say, this woman was extremely good.  we kept telling each other jokes for hours.  eventually, i had to leave.  papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story."  That's cute, that Sans reads his brother a bedtime story.  "but she told me to come by again, and so i did.  then i did again.  and again.  it's a thing now.  telling bad jokes through the door.  it rules." Sans stops, turning his gaze away again.  Frisk leans on the table, yawning.  They're tired.

"one day, though, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much."  Frisk's happiness dissipates.  They wonder what upset her.  "i asked her what was up.  then she told me something strange. 'if a human ever comes through this door could you please, please promise something?'"  They freeze.  They're what upset her.  Their heart starts pounding in their chest.  "'watch over them, and protect them, will you not?'  now, i hate making promises.  and this woman, i don't even know her name.  but... someone who sincerely likes bad jokes... has an integrity you can't say 'no' to."  Frisk grins at that. They like Sans a lot, and how he judges character.  He turns away again, before continuing.

"do you get what I'm saying?  that promise I made to her... you know what would happen if she hadn't said anything?" Their heart drops, and they sit up and look serious. They're scared of what he's going to say next. "...buddy.  Y o u 'd  b e  d e a d  w h e r e  y o u  s t a n d."  Frisk freezes and stares.  They're tired.  They've worked so hard to get so far.  And they're terrified.

It all adds up to 'too much'.  They burst into tears.  Sans cusses.  "hey, bucko, lighten up! i'm just joking with you. jeez, kid, i'm sorry.  it's just a joke. &nbspif i didn't make that promise, you still would be fine. okay? please don't cry, kid. &nbspbuddy, c'mon, i'm sorry." &nbspThey sniffle, working hard to get their tears to stop. "yeah, see? i'm not so bad. not so scary.  haven't i done a great job of protecting you?"  Chara snorts.  "i mean, look at yourself.  you haven't died a single time."  Frisk snorts this time, while Chara howls with laughter.  "hey, what's that supposed to mean?  am i wrong...?  heh.  well, that's all.  take care of yourself, kid.  'cause someone really cares about you."

They think of Toriel.  Does she care still?  They hope so.

On the table, they find 200G.  Huh.  They wander around the restaurant, to find it all Mettaton-themed.  Leaving it, they realize they're in the lobby.  A monster that looks like Origami informs them that it's MTT-Resort.  Apartment-building-turned-hotel.  Huh.

They find a desk monster, something that looks a lot like a hand.  Rooms are 200G.  They use the gold they found to rent one for the night.  Peacefully, they sleep.  They can do this.  They can make it.  They're almost there.

...But goodness, are these beds huge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> undyne was so ooc oh shit isn't she aaaaahhhhhhhhh
> 
> why yes, I do love dogs. and cats. and basically every animal ever.
> 
> proofreading? what is this proofreading you speak of?


	5. The King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> accepting better titles for both chapters and the story. 'memory transit' is lame.
> 
> dying over&over again because some battles.......
> 
> also eeeeyyy I CAN post chapters in a timely manner!

After coming out of their room, Frisk knocked on the doors of all the other rooms.  They got responses about room service - sea tea and cinnamon bun.  The third door said nothing.  They set a hot dog - caught from all the falling ones on their head - at the door.  The monster on the other side pulls it under, after a lot of trouble, and replaces it with a hush puppy.

They meet someone with a hard hat who works in the CORE.  They talk about how the pieces can move, and the CORE's layout can be rearranged.

Someone buys them a Glamburger at the shop, and they're very grateful to the monster.  Food is food.  They eat it quickly, and even though it's filled with sequins... it actually tastes pretty good.  That's surprising.  They wonder about other things, like why they haven't needed to go the bathroom and how skeletons can eat.

But those thoughts just confuse and upset them, so they push them aside.

Finally, Frisk goes through the doors with a sign saying 'CORE' (they don't need Chara to read that; it's easy and small.  Chara has to correct their pronunciation, though).  They come out on a balcony, where wind blows.  The mysterious wind from when they fought Undyne, probably.  Ahead of them, they see two strange shadows.  Their phone rings.  "Huh?  Who are they?" Alphys says, surprised, "N-nobody else is s-supposed to be here...  Oh well!  We can't worry about that now!"  She hangs up.

...People who aren't supposed to be there?   _I wonder if it's part of the script, or if she's honestly surprised... She did sound nervous when she mentioned it, and she's not usually nervous on the script,_ Chara muses.  Frisk decides that Chara's smarter than they are - they would never pick out a pattern like that!   _Nah.  It's just you're more innocent.  You don't even_ look _for patterns like that._

That's true.  They move on.

The CORE is pretty fancy.  An elevator stands right in front of them.  They try to activate it.  They call Alphys, this time.  "What?  The elevator should be working... W-well then!  Go to the right and keep heading up!"  They go to the right.  There's a pit in front of them, they can't keep going.

"That pit... Isn't on my map," Alphys says slowly, "Forget it!  Let's try the left side!"  The pieces can move, they know.  So Alphys's map must not match up with the CORE.  They wonder if her map is digital or on paper.  If it's digital, why isn't syncing up with the CORE?  She stays on the line as they go to the left.

"Okay, you should be able to make it through here..."  Suddenly, two monsters come from the shadows!  "W-watch out!" Alphys cries.

Frisk's SOUL comes from their chest.  One monster leaves, and one stays.  They chatter gibberish to themselves, throwing magic attacks at them.  Frisk lets the monster talk, and eventually, they leave.

"Th... that was close!  Wh... why are so many monsters here?" Alphys asks, "I mean... it's no problem, r-r-right?  W-w-we've just got to keep heading forward!"   _Something is wrong,_ Chara says firmly,  _Be careful, Frisk._  They are being careful, of course.

In the next room, there's a switch.  They can't move on until they press it; an energy field stops them.  But they're nervous - no doubt it will activate the lasers they can see.

"Looks like you can't proceed until you hit the switch," Alphys says, stating the obvious, "B-but, those lasers will activate when you do.  Ummm... looks like they'll come in this order: Orange, orange, blue."  Move, move, still.  They can do that.  "G-got it?  Move until the third one!"

They don't come in that order.  Blue-blue-orange.  Frisk manages to catch themselves in time, and avoid the lasers.  "Oh my god... are you hurt?  I... I'm so sorry, I... I gave you the wrong order."  Frisk can practically hear Alphys's confidence leaking out of her voice.  They feel awful.  "...Everything's going to be fine, okay?  L-let's just keep going."  Right.

The next room is a crossroads.  "Uh... Uhhh... Tr... Try going straight! W-wait, no, I think you should take the turn!"  They take the turn.

A monster is in the room: a large, sleepy-looking, owl-like monster.  As Frisk's SOUL comes from their chest, they think of Shyren.  They begin to sing, and slowly the monster falls asleep.  Their SOUL returns to its proper place, and Frisk sighs in relief.

"Sorry, I... I... I thought that... Let's try the right path instead," Alphys says.  She's practically having a mental breakdown.

Before they leave, they see a gun.  It's a real gun.  An item from one of the previous kids.  They reach out and touch it, terrified.

_A monster and a human are playing together.  "I'm sheriff of this town, pardner," the kid says, playing at being a cowboy.  He grins at the monster.  The monster laughs._

_"Oh yeah?  Well, I'm going to take this town over!" he boasts.  It's an innocent, harmless game._

_Until the real-live gun shoots a yellow, magic bullet.  The monster turns to dust.  He panics and runs._

Frisk pulls away from the gun, swallowing harshly.  The guilt of the kid.  The power of the bullets.  The gun thrums with it.  They carefully open it and look inside.  No bullets.  They open the dimensional box and shove it in, at the very bottom, as quickly as they can.  They don't want it.  Still, they take it with them.

The right path reveals more lasers.  But these lasers are already turned on; they can handle this.  "M... more lasers...  Okay, I... I won't mess around this time.  I'll just deactivate the lasers and let you through."  That sounds good to them.  A pause.  "They're... They're not turning off...  I can't turn them off, I... I-i-it's okay!  I have this under control!  I'm going to turn off the p-power for that whole node."  But won't it be dark?  They hope they'll have enough light to see.  "Then you can walk across."  Another pause, and everything goes dark.  There's still enough light to see, thankfully.  "Okay, go!"

They go.  Alphys yells through the phone, suddenly.  "W-WAIT!  STOP!"  The lasers light up around them.  Luckily, they're standing in blue, and standing still.  "Th-the power... It's turning itself back on."  She sounds so panicked.  "D-damn it... Th-this isn't supposed to... I... I'm gonna turn it off again.  When it turns off, move a little, and then STOP.  OK?  Y-you won't get h-h-hurt."  They do that.  There's a warning, each time it turns back on, and they freeze.  Then it clicks off again.

Finally, Alphys speaks.  "S-see?  I've got everything under control."  She's breathing heavily, and sounds upset.  Those are not the sounds of someone who has everything under control.  "Everything's under control!"  There's a four-way path.  "OK!  Y-you should... you should... I don't know?  This doesn't look like my map at all... I'm sorry... I... I.. I have to go."  She hangs up.  Frisk stares at their phone for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

They can do this.  No problem.

They wander around, feeling very lost, before running into two monsters.  One is Whimsalot, and the other is Final Froggit.  Chara tells them this.   _They're grown-up versions of the monsters in the ruins._  Okay... they can do this!

They try consoling Whimsalot.  It does not help.  They plead with the monster, asking for safety.  Whimsalot nods and then departs.  Final Froggit attacks.  They try complimenting; it fails.  So they do something mysterious, to try and perplex it.  Final Froggit is perplexed.

Onwards.  They run into another monster.  The monster attacks, saying, "pick on me."  They tease the monster (okay, CHARA teases the monster; they don't have it in them to be mean); the monster is satisfied then, and leaves.  At the end of this room they collapse, needing a moment to gather themselves again.  There's a switch they press before moving on.

After a long while, they move again.  They wander around, more lost, and stumble upon a puzzle.  It's a shooter puzzle, like before.  They solve it pretty easily.  More wandering around.  They find a trashcan with a glamburger in it, and pocket it without thinking.

 _Are you okay?_ Chara asks, worriedly.  Frisk seems like they are in pain.  But they're just tired.  Exhausted, really.  They're ready for it to be done.

Finally, they wander around enough to find themselves in front of a door.  They feel like they know where this leads.  Yes, it must go to Asgore's castle.  They're finally there.  They feel relieved, but mostly they feel... determined.

Mettaton awaits them as they go through the door.  "OH YES.  THERE YOU ARE, DARLING.  IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN.  IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING' ROBOT.  ...NOT!!!    MALFUNCTION?  REPROGRAMMING?  GET REAL.  THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW."   _Called it,_ Chara says.  And then,  _But wait, didn't Mettaton plan this to help Alphys?_

"AN ACT.  ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME.  AS SHE WATCHED YOU ON SCREEN, SHE GREW ATTACHED TO YOUR ADVENTURE.  SHE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT.  SO SHE DECIDED TO INSERT HERSELF INTO YOUR STORY."   _Alphys planned this?  Now that I didn't see._  Chara's shocked, and the fact they're put off-balance scares Frisk.

"SHE REACTIVATED PUZZLES.  SHE DISABLED ELEVATORS.  SHE ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT YOU."  Frisk was upset by that.  That's so selfish, so thoughtless!  They think about the people who needed to go to school and work that they saw.  She was... she was hurting people by doing that.  "ALL SO SHE COULD SAVE YOU FROM DANGERS THAT DIDN'T EXIST."  She isn't confident.  They don't mind that.  They just mind the inconvenience that posed to other people.  "ALL SO YOU WOULD THINK SHE'S THE GREAT PERSON THAT SHE'S NOT."  Mettaton must be Alphys's friend though, right?  Why would he say such things about her, if he was her friend?  After all, he went along with her plan.

"AND NOW, IT'S TIME FOR HER FINEST HOUR.  AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM.  DURING OUR 'BATTLE', SHE WILL INTERRUPT.  SHE WILL PRETEND TO 'DEACTIVATE' ME, 'SAVING' YOU ONE FINAL TIME.  FINALLY.  SHE WILL BE THE HEROINE OF YOUR ADVENTURE.  YOU'LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY SHE'LL EVEN BE ABLE TO CONVINCE YOU NOT TO LEAVE."  ...Did Alphys think she would be able to do that?  No matter how many times she saved them, they are determined to go onwards.  "...OR NOT.  YOU SEE, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE.  I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS.  FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY.  MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN.  AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY?  AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?"

Oh no.  The door is locked behind them.  Alphys yells through it.  "H-hey!!!  Wh-wh-what's going on!?  Th-th-the door just locked itself!"

Lights come on all around Mettaton.  "SORRY, FOLKS!  THE OLD PROGRAM'S BEEN CANCELLED!!!  BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!!"  The room transforms into a stage.  "REAL DRAMA!!  REAL ACTION!!  REAL BLOODSHED!!  ON OUR NEW SHOW... 'ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!'"

Frisk's SOUL comes from their chest.  They press the yellow button on their phone, desperately, and their SOUL changes accordingly.  "YES, I WAS THE ONE THAT RE-ARRANGED THE CORE," Mettaton declares, "I WAS THE ONE THAT HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU!  THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN.  YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER?  KILLING YOU MYSELF!!"  They aim for him with their yellow SOUL.  Everything is deflected.  "THAT WORTHLESS PEA-SHOOTER WON'T WORK ON ME, DARLING.  DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTING IS!?"

 The yellow is useless, and they stare horrified at Mettaton.   _I should have known,_ Chara complains.  "LISTEN, DARLING.  I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT," Mettaton says, "YOU'RE WEAK."   _No you aren't!_ Chara grumbles, angry now.  "IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL.  AND WITH YOUR SOUL, ASGORE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY."   _That's never what he wanted!_  Chara is upset, and Frisk doesn't know what to do to fix it.  They're scared, so scared.  They'll be trapped here and they'll die again and again and again...

"BUT IF I GET YOUR SOUL, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN!" Mettaton declares.  They dodge his attack, shooting some of the bullets.  The shot bullets disappear.  They can use that!  "I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!"  He attacked again; they dodged and shot and managed to avoid.  Okay.  They just had to keep going.

"THEN, USING YOUR SOUL, I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING!  HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS... NO!  MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL WATCH ME!  GLITZ!  GLAMOUR!  I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL!  SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE?  THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!"  No, that wasn't just show business!  That was terrible!  Frisk dodges another attack, aiming at the bullets to try and protect their self.

Their phone rings, and it's Alphys.  "U... uh... I can't see what's going on in there, but...  D-d-don't give up, okay!?  Th... there's o-one l-l-last way to beat Mettaton...  It's... um... it's... This is a work-in-progress, so don't judge it too hard... But, you know Mettaton always faces f-f-forward?  That's because there's a switch on his backside.  S-s-so if y-y-you c-c-can turn him around... um...  And, um... press th-th-th-the switch...  He'll be... uh... He'll be...  Vulnerable.  Well, g-g-gotta go!"  She hangs up, then.

Frisk's mind practically storms trying to come up with an idea of how to get him to turn around.   _Tell him there's a mirror behind him,_ Chara says.  They do so.  "OH???  A MIRROR???  RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE!"  He turns around.  "HMMM... I DON'T SEE IT...  WHERE IS IT...?"  They flip his switch then.  Mettaton stops moving, going entirely still.

"DID YOU.  JUST FLIP.  MY SWITCH?" he says slowly, angrily.  He turned back around and pressed his hands to his head (body? he was literally a rectangle with hands...), the dials on his chest spinning wildly and his segmented screen lighting up and going black at random.  He moves faster, everything going crazy, and then a bright light covered everything.  Frisk had to shut their eyes.

The light fades, and the room is dark.  Two spotlights come down and shone on the stage where Mettaton was, revealing smoke.  And then a figure.  "Ohhh my," said the figure.  It sounded a lot like Mettaton, but also different.  "If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing.  You're desperate for the premiere of my new body.  How rude...  Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time.  So... as thanks, I'll give you a handsome reward.  I'll make your last living moments..."  The fog faded, and at last the view was clear.  A very humanoid body.  For Mettaton.  "...ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"

Frisk's eyes were drawn to a 'ratings' box nearby.  They remembered two monsters that mentioned what they liked about Mettaton.  The boasting, the way he always defeated the enemy.  The posing.  So they posed.  "Lights!  Camera!  Action!" Mettaton says, "Drama!  Romance!  Bloodshed!"  He attacks, using his legs now.  Frisk dodges.  Okay, they can do this.  Just find the pattern.

"I'm the idol everyone craves!" he coos during his next attack.  Frisk trips; they get hit.

Back to in front of the door.  They skip through Mettaton's monologue by telling him there's a mirror behind him right away and flip his switch.  They successfully dodge the attack that hit them this time.

"Smile for the camera!" he says, beaming.  They dodge his next attack.  Then he hands them a pencil and paper.  They stare, confused.  "Ooh, it's time for a pop quiz!  I hope you're ready...  This one's an essay question!  What do you love most about Mettaton?"

 Chara helps Frisk write.  They know what they think is really cool; his dancing.  When he came in, with the new body... yeah, it was really cool.  So Chara helps them get it down on paper.  " **i LiKE MEtAtNs dANcEiNG its Good.** "  It's a struggling, crooked handwriting and Chara is appalled by their spelling ( _Dancing doesn't have an 'e', Frisk_ ) but they manage to write it.  They give it to Mettaton, and he reads it aloud before commenting on it.

"Dancing...?  Thank you, I'm self-taught.  I'm definitely going to save this essay for future use!"  He folds the paper up and tucks it away.  Frisk is embarrassed, but Chara is just annoyed.  "Your essay really showed everyone your heart.  Why don't I show you mine?"

The heart-shaped core, glowing pink, spun out in front of Frisk.  It was able to hold itself and throw bullets at them.  It took them by surprise.  They got hit.  Back to the door.  Tell him there's a mirror.  Flip the switch.  This time, they tried to write more carefully, following Chara's instructions for their handwriting.  They couldn't finish it in time, and Mettaton commented on how succinct it was.

This time they dodged the bullets from the heart core, and it returned to its place on Mettaton.  "Oooh, I'm just warming up!"  A disco ball came from the ceiling.  "But how are you on the dance floor!?"  The disco ball had lasers.  Blue ones.  They stayed still - and then a white one hit.

Back to the front.  Attempt the essay in neater handwriting.  Stay still, dodge the white laser.

"Can you keep up the pace!?" Mettaton demands as the lasers go faster, with more white lasers.  They make it, panting heavily and breathing hard.  This is very difficult.

"Lights!  Camera Bombs!"  There's bomb bullets now - Frisk shoots with their yellow SOUL and the bomb explodes.  They die.  Back to the start.  Essay (they make it through 'dancing' this time, and Mettaton comments on that again).

They shoot the bomb again but this time avoid the blast from it.  Okay.  They can do this.  "Things are blowing up!" Mettaton says as he throws several bombs in a row.  They shoot, dodge the blast.  Once they work out the pattern it's pretty easy to deal with.

"Time for our union-regulated break!" Mettaton says, "Snack?"  He offers Frisk a starfait, even though their SOUL hasn't returned to their chest yet.  They look at him skeptically; he's smiling.  They accept, and are glad to have more food in their stomach.  It tastes pretty good, actually.

"We've grown so distant, darling... How about another heart-to-heart?"  That's their only warning for when Mettaton attacks them again.  They dodge the heart bullets, but now it's more complicated.  They can do this, though, they can make it - they do.  Barely.  One of the bullets skimmed their physical body, and their arm feels like it's burning.  But they aren't dead.

They manage to shoot the heart, just before it returns, and Mettaton's arms fall off.  He's shocked, but shakes it off.  "A... arms?  Wh... who needs arms with legs like these?  I'm still going to win!"  He uses his legs, too, kicking out with them in an attack.  Frisk dodges... it's a lot like dancing.  They pose at the end of it, and Mettaton poses too.

"Come on...!  The show... must go on!"  They can tell he's tired, and he's struggling.  "Dr... Drama!  A... Action!  L... lights... C... camera...  Enough of this!  Do you really want humanity to perish!?"  They do not.  "...or do you just believe in yourself that much?"  They don't, not really.  They feel like they have a purpose.  They must keep going.  "Haha, how inspiring!  Well, darling!  It's either me or you!  But I think we both already know who's going to win."   _You will, of course,_ said Chara dismissively,  _He doesn't have determination-fueled time powers._  Frisk does not want to think about this.  Besides, what if they run out?  That horrifies Chara into a stunned silence.  "Witness the true power of humanity's star!"  He does a series of attacks without words in between - disco lasers, kicking out, the bomb-bullets - and Frisk is shaking by the end of it.

At the very end he brings out his heart, and Frisk shoots it.  His legs fall off, and he collapses.  His eyes go to the screen in the corner, and Frisk looks there too.  The ratings read 10000.

"OOH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS!!!  This is the most viewers I've ever had!!!" Mettaton gasps, "We've reached the viewer call-in milestone!  One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me before I leave the Underground forever!!  Let's see who calls in first!"

A speaker on Mettaton's chest makes a beeping noise.  "Hi, you're on TV!" the robot says, "What do you have to say on this, our last show???"  The voice that comes from the speaker sounds a lot like Napstablook, actually...

"....oh...... hi... mettaton...."  Mettaton's smile begins to fade into a frown.  "i really liked watching your show... my life is pretty boring... but... seeing you on the screen... brought excitement to my life... vicariously... i can't tell, but... i guess this is the last episode...?  i'll miss you... mettaton..."  At that point, he seemed close to tears.  "....oh.... i didn't mean to talk so long... oh......."

"No, wait!  Wait, Bl...  H... They already hung up."  Mettaton closes his eyes and sighs sadly, before forcing a smile back on.  "I'll take another caller!!!"

The calls start pouring in.

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll do without you."

"Mettaton, there's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart."

Mettaton hangs up the phone speaker in his chest entirely, closing his eyes.  "Ah... I... I see...  Everyone... Thank you so much.  Darling.  Perhaps... it might be better if I stay here for a while.  Humans already have stars and idols, but monsters... they only have me.  If I left... the Underground would lose its spark."   _Arrogant, much?_ Chara snorts.  "I'd leave an aching void that can never be filled."  Yeah, definitely, Frisk agrees with Chara.  "So... I think I'll have to delay my big debut.  Besides.  You've proven to be very strong.  Perhaps... even strong enough to get past Asgore.  I'm sure you'll be able to protect humanity.  Ha, ha..."  He chuckles weakly.  "It's all for the best, anyway.  The truth is, this form's energy consumption is... inefficient.  In a few moments, I'll run out of battery power, and... Well.  I'll be alright.  Knock 'em dead, darling.  And everyone... thank you.  You've been a great audience!"

Mettaton collapses onto the ground, and Frisk rushes to his side.  Alphys makes it in.  "I... I managed to open the lock!  Are you two... Oh my god."  She rushes to the other side of Mettaton.  "Mettaton!  Mettaton, are you... thank GOD, it's just the batteries.  Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have... I would have..."  Alphys looks at Frisk, suddenly remembering they're there.  "I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know?  He's just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always... J-just build another."  She goes quiet.   _She's lying,_ Chara announces.  Frisk thinks that much is obvious.  "Why don't you go on ahead?" Alphys adds, before looking over Mettaton.  Frisk does as she says.

They're walking down a long hallway when Alphys catches up to them.  "S... Sorry about that!" she says, and they turn around to face her.  "L-let's k-keep going!"  Chara is irritated with her, lying and acting like nothing happened and everything is fine.  Frisk is just curious why she isn't taking care of Mettaton.  "S-so you're about to meet Asgore, h-huh?  You must be... Y-you must be... Pr... pretty excited about all that, huh?"  Excited?  No.  Nervous?  Very.  They keep walking.  "You'll f-f-finally... You'll finally get to go home!"  They make it to the elevator.  Frisk opens the doors.

"W... wait!" Alphys calls.  They wait.  "I mean, um... I... I was just going to... um... Say goodbye, and..."  She goes quiet for a long time.  Frisk turns to her, waiting patiently while Chara rants about her in their head.  "I can't take this anymore," she finally says, looking away.  She still doesn't look at them as she speaks.  "I... I lied to you."  Chara goes silent.  "A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone.  It takes at least a human SOUL... and a monster SOUL."  No.

Is that why they kept moving?  Is that why two of the kids before them promised to stay?  Because it took a monster SOUL, too?  ...But all those kids, they had reason to go back.  Frisk doesn't.  All Frisk has is the sunshine and the flowers.

Down here... they have friends.

"If you want to go home... You'll have to take his SOUL."  Because Asgore was a boss monster.  And only boss monster SOULs linger after death.   _...I'm sorry,_ Chara says, quietly,  _I thought you already knew._  Why would they know?  "You'll have to kill Asgore."  They don't want to!  Alphys walks slowly away.  "I'm sorry," she says as she leaves.  Frisk turns back to the elevator.

They still must go on.

The elevator ride is a long one.  Frisk sits down against the back wall, staring at the doors wearily.  They feel so, so tired.   _Frisk, please, no,_ Chara says softly,  _Don't give up.  We've come so far!_  But they've been wanting to give up for so long.  They're ready to give up.

 _You know how you can SAVE and LOAD?_  Yes.   _Those words... I made them up with the first child fell underground.  The one with the gun and the cowboy hat.  They killed, twice.  Once by accident, once on purpose.  When they first died, I thought it was the end._

A long pause.

_It wasn't.  They came back.  This time, they didn't kill anyone!  Asgore killed them.  This time, they didn't come back.  He... he had asked me, what had happened, when he first came back.  I thought of video games.  I made up, back then, names for SAVing and LOADing.  He 'ran out of determination'... He gave up._

_So it was with every child.  Only the cook, only she didn't kill a single monster.  Two children, her and the little girl with the ribbon - they only died once.  Each of them, different times.  I was so scared I would be -_ back there _, where I was, waiting, sleeping, and then you fell down._

 _I was always sleepy, always tired, always frustrated with these humans.  But you decided to_ care _about me.  All it took was my name... the others?  If they heard my voice - and they didn't, not always - only thought I was some imaginary friend.  You didn't.  You cared about... you CARE about everyone._

Chara goes quiet.  And then, softly, they say,  _Please don't give up, Frisk._

Frisk gets up.  They move forward, into New Home.  It is gray and white and bright.  There are some monsters out and about, but most seem to be inside.  Nobody bothers them as they pass.  Finally, they arrive at a tiny house.  It's a duplicate of Toriel's, but a pale, faded gray instead of purple.  It looks newer, too, and there's no tree out front.

They go inside.  By the door, there's a chain with a note.  Chara reads it for them.   _Howdy!  I'm in the garden.  If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come.  The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway._

Frisk turns towards the kitchen, first.  In the dining room - the house is identical to Toriel's, even in furniture placement, except for small things like the books in the bookshelves, and the exact items in certain places.  It all seems very clean and surprisingly unused.

In the kitchen, the stovetop is clean -  _fire magic,_ Chara explains, like they did when they explored Toriel's kitchen - and there's crumpled-up recipes for butterscotch-cinnamon pie in the trash can.  The key is on the table, next to a note.  Frisk manages to read it their self, and Chara is very proud of them.

They stop in the first bedroom.  There are two beds there, with gift-boxes wrapped neatly next to them.  Dusty toys, striped shirts, a family photograph.  Frisk clears the dust away.  There is a human, a tiny goat-monster, and Toriel.  And another goat-monster.  They look in the boxes.

One of them has a heart-shaped locket.  They brace themselves for the vision.  They hear Chara's voice.

_A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins.  Injured by its fall, the human called out for help._

_Asriel, the King's son, heard the human's call.  He brought the human back to the castle._

_Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings.  The King and the Queen treated the human child like their own.  The Underground was full of hope._

_Then... One day... The human became very ill._

_The sick human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village.  But there was nothing the monsters could do._

_The next day... The human died._

_Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human SOUL.  He transformed into a being with incredible power._

_With the human SOUL, Asriel crossed through the barrier.  He carried the human's body into the sunset, back to the village of the humans._

_Asriel reached the center of the village.  There, he found a bed of golden flowers.  He carried the human onto it._

_Suddenly, screams rang out.  The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body.  They thought that he had killed the child._

_The humans attacked him with everything they had.  He was struck with blow after blow.  Asriel had the power to destroy them all._

_But... Asriel did not fight back.  Clutching the human, Asriel smiled, and walked away._

_Wounded, Asriel stumbled home.  He entered the castle and collapsed.  His dust spread across the garden._

_The kingdom fell into despair.  The king and queen had lost two children in one night.  The humans had once again taken everything from the monsters._

_The king decided it was time to end the suffering.  Every human who falls down here must die.  With enough SOULs, he can shatter the barrier forever_

In the other gift box, they see a worn gardening dagger.  They pick that up, too.  This has a vision, the briefest glance of a goat-monster -  _Asriel_ \- laughing, surrounded by crayons and markers and paper.

Frisk moves on.  The room that was Toriel's, in her little house, says it's under renovations.  Instead, the last room in the hall is open.  There's a diary, that just says over and over again, 'Nice day today!' for every entry.  The ink's still almost wet.  There's a trophy, but Frisk doesn't bother trying to read it and Chara doesn't help.

They grab the key outside the door, and then look in the mirror.  They look tired, but they don't see much difference.  The changes this journey has brought to them so far isn't reflected in the glass.   _Still just you,_ Chara says softly.

They go back to the chain and unlock it, then begin to head forward.  It looks... so much... like Toriel's basement, before the door to the rest of the Underground.  The doors lead to a large balcony.  Frisk follows it.  They enter a door.

A golden hallway.  It's shadowy where the gold does not touch, and it echoes around them.  They feel like something's following them... A bell tolls.

"So you finally made it," says a voice they can't pinpoint, almost silent, almost entering their thoughts insidiously.  "The end of your journey is at hand.  In a few moments, you will meet the king.  Together... You will determine the future of this world.  That's then.  Now.  You will be judged.  You will be judged for your every action.  You will be judged for every EXP you've earned.  What's EXP?  It's an acronym.  It stands for execution points. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for Level of Violence. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others." A figure, cloaked in shadow so Frisk can't tell who it is, makes its way to visibility. It looks... familiar... Wait

It's Sans! "...but you. you never gained any love. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced, you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. you never gained love, but you gained love. does that make sense? maybe not. ...now. you're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here will determine the fate of the entire world." _No pressure, right Sans?_ Chara says sarcastically. " if you refuse to fight... Asgore will take your SOUL and destroy humanity. but if you kill Asgore and go home... monsters will remain trapped Underground. what will you do? well, if I were you, i would have thrown in the towel by now. but you didn't get this far by giving up, did you?" No, they didn't. "that's right. you have something called 'determination'. so as long as you hold on... so as long as you do what's in your heart... i believe you can do the right thing. alright. we're all counting on you, kid. good luck."

Sans leaves as quietly and quickly as he arrived. Frisk takes a deep breath. They feel determined again. They can do this. They will do the impossible. Humanity and monsterkind... they can be friends. Frisk will free the monsters _and_ survive.

Chara takes heart. This is the first thought Frisk has had of wanting to live on their entire journey. The combined determination forms a powerful, shining star. Frisk hugs it, and then sets it down right there in the middle of the golden hallway.

Frisk sits down.  They pull out Toriel's butterscotch pie and finally eat it.  It's as delicious as the first slice, if not as warm and fresh.  They tuck the items they found into the box, with all the others.  They are as ready as they will ever be to face Asgore.

The next hall has a doorway with a sign labeling it 'Throne Room'.  They break off to the other side of the hallway first, and head down to the basement.  Seven coffins.  The one closest to them is empty.  The name is labeled... 'Chara'.

 _It's about as comfortable as it looks,_ Chara says drily.

Was... Chara the human child?  They neither confirm or deny.  Frisk goes back to the throne room.

There, a tall goat-monster waters flowers.  They recognize him from the family photograph in the room.  They approach.

"Dum dee dum," he hums as he water flowers.  Birdsong is audible here, the taste of fresh air so close to their tongue.  An exit from the Underground.  He hears them.

"Oh?  Is someone there?  Just a moment!  I have almost finished watering these flowers." He stands, slowly, and turns around.  It's Asgore, the King of Monsters.  He has a crown.  "Here we are!  Howdy!  How can I..."  His smile fades as he realizes.  He even takes a step back, as if he is afraid.  "Oh.  ...I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea?'  But... You know how it is."  They do.  "Nice today, huh?" he says, as he moves.  "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming... Perfect weather for a game of catch."  He sighs, turning away from them and then back towards them.  "You know what we must do."  They know.  "When you are ready, come into the next room."  They're not ready.  They'll never be ready.  But they follow him anyway.

They pass his throne, and a throne covered by a white sheet.  They can guess... it used to belong to Toriel, the queen.

"How tense..." Asgore sighs, "Just think of it like... A visit to the dentist."   _If the dentist wanted to kill you._  But Chara's sass didn't have the normal bite to it.  It sounded... very sad.

"Are you ready?" Asgore asks as he leads them down a long hallway.  "If you are not, I understand.  I am not ready either."  There's a door at the end.  They follow him through.

A shimmering black-and-white mirage shines in front of them.  Just barely through it they can see the other side.  "This is the barrier," Asgore says, staring at it instead of them.  "This is what keeps as all trapped Underground."  Asgore goes quiet.  "If... if by chance you have any unfinished business... Please do what you must."  They are ready.  They have nothing left to do.

"...I see.... This is it, then."  He turns towards them, smiling an endlessly sad smile.  "Ready?"  Seven containers rise.  Six of them have souls.  Green, yellow, orange, purple, blue, and cyan.  The last one is empty.  Frisk's SOUL leaves their chest.

Twilight shines in at them.  "Human..." Asgore says, "It was nice to meet you.  Goodbye."  He holds a magical trident, and with it he slashes at them.  Something feels wrong, so very wrong.  They know they must attack.  There is no other choice.

They don't want to.  They don't want to fight.  They plead with him.  He does not respond, just attacks.  Finally, they reach out a shaking hand and whack him with the stick they've been carrying since the beginning.  It hits.  It hurts.

They do it again, dodging bullets all the while.  It does so little to him.  They don't want to fight.  They don't want to hurt him.  He winks in a pattern, showing them how he'll throw his trident.  Blue, orange, blue.  Still, move, still.  He does that several times, giving them warning.  They get hit.

The golden corridor.  Through his speech.  More attacks.  He kills them again.  They return.  Again.  Return.  Killed.  Return.  Killed.  They don't know how many times they follow the pattern, but they are exhausted.  They sit, and take a moment to just breathe.

They fight him again.  This time, they are ready.  They use a little bit more force.  They still don't want to fight.  They still don't want to kill.  They dodge and they hit.

Finally he falls to his knees.  "Ah... So that is how it is."  He stays quiet, before speaking again.  "I remember the day after my son died.  The entire Underground was devoid of hope.  The future had once again been taken from us by the humans.  In a fit of anger, I declared war.  I said that I would destroy any human that came here.  I would use their SOULs to become godlike... and free us from this terrible prison.  Then, I would destroy humanity... and let monsters rule the surface, in peace.  Soon, the people's hopes returned.  My wife, however, became disgusted with my actions.  She left this place, never to be seen again.  Truthfully... I do not want power.  I do not want to hurt anyone.  I just wanted everyone to have hope... But... I cannot take this any longer.  I just want to see my wife.  I just want to see my child.  Please... young one... This war has gone on long enough.  You have the power... Take my SOUL and leave this cursed place."  They shake their head.  They won't.  They  **won't**.

Asgore finally raises his heavy head and looks at them.  "After everything I have done to hurt you, you would rather stay down here and suffer than live happily on the surface?"

"I wasn't happy up there," Frisk says quietly, "Down here... I've been happier than I ever was up there."

Asgore pauses, looking down again.  When he next looks at them, it's with hope in his eyes.  "Human... I promise you... For as long as you remain here... My wife and I will take care of you as best we can."   _Dad, Mom's in the Ruins,_ Chara says softly,  _Dad, Dad..._  "We can sit in the living room, telling stories... Eating butterscotch pie... We could be like... Like a family...  Bullets, white pellets like they've seen before, long ago, surround him.  They kill him.  His soul hangs in the air, white and shimmering.  A final bullet destroys it.  Chara screams.

"You idiot," says Flowey, popping up from the ground and smirking.  "You haven't learned a thing.  In this world... It's KILL or be KILLED."

Everything goes white as Flowey absorbs the SOULs.  They flail about in the whiteness, until they see something that looks like a doorway.  They go through.  Now, everything is black.  Flowey's head appears, as if on a TV screen.

"Howdy!  It's me, Flowey!  Flowey the Flower!  I owe you a HUGE thanks.  You really did a number on that old fool.  Without you, I NEVER could have gotten past him."  The flower's face forms into something resembling Asgore's.  "But now, with your help..."  The face turns into a skull.  "He's DEAD."  Flowey grins maliciously.  "And I'VE got the human SOULs!"  He chuckles evilly, a weird distorted noise.  "Boy!  I've been empty for so long... It feels great to have a SOUL inside me again.  Mmm, I can feel them wriggling... Awww, you're feeling left out, aren't you?"  No.  They aren't at all.  "Well, that's just perfect.  After all, I only have six SOULs.  I still need one more... Before I become God.  And then, with my newfound powers... Monsters.  Humans.  Everyone.  I'll show them all the REAL meaning of this world."

Another dark, corrupted chuckle emitted from some unknown place.  "Oh, and forget about escaping to your old SAVE.  It's gone forever. But don't worry.  Your old friend Flowey... Has worked out a replacement for you!  I'll save over your own death.  So you can watch me tear you to bloody pieces...  Over, and over, and over..."  Bravely, Frisk steps forward, challenging him.

"...what?  Do you really think you can stop ME?  Hee hee hee...  You really ARE an idiot."

Flowey's face disappears.  Slowly, something creeps forward.  It's a weird thing that looks like a bunch of parts slammed together.  Cactus hands.  SOULs floating around it.  A TV for a head.  Something resembling Flowey's face appears on the TV on top of static.  He makes the most evil, malicious laugh they've ever heard.  Even Chara is frightened by it.

He attacks.  Giant bombs with his face and spewing fire, lasers and vines that cut and tear.  They're surprised they don't die immediately - they get hit plenty of times.  But get hit they do.  Flowey just reLOADs and tries to kill them again.

They dodge.  The cyan SOUL shines from within its prison, and Flowey disappears.  Frisk is surrounded by spinning knives.  They call for help... the knives change to band-aids, and they're healed.  Flowey again, with his multitude of attacks.  A venus fly trap and flies zooming towards it, every hit searing pain.

The next SOUL is orange, and hand-bullets dance around them.  They call for help.  The hand-bullets turn to thumbs-up, and heal their aching body and SOUL as they touch them.

After that is the blue SOUL.  Figures of ballerinas dance around them, and they must dance with them.  Frisk calls for help.  Slowly the ballerinas fade, replaced by music notes that sing as they heal Frisk.

The purple SOUL shines bright before them.  Books spin past them, shooting dangerous, deadly words.  They call for help.  The words change to positive ones, healing Frisk as they touch them.

Green SOUL.  Frying pans toss burning fire, and it feels like they are being destroyed.  They die.  Back to the world of endless white.  They fly back through to the blackness, with Flowey, and find themselves returned to dodging burning fire.  They make it to the healing, this time, and egg-shaped bullets touch them and heal them.

Last the yellow SOUL creates its weapon: a gun.  It shoots bullets, and Frisk dodges.  They call for help.  The bullets change into four-leaf clovers.

They are transported back to Flowey, who attacks them with everything he has.  They die again and again and again.  Finally, they call for help again.  The six SOULs rebel against their captor, sending their healing energy to Frisk as they attack.  Again and again and again.  Suddenly he shakes, and his attacks stop.

"No... NO!!!" he cries, "This CAN'T be happening!!!  You... YOU..."  Flowey loads the file. His health is restored.  "You IDIOT."

Everything burns.  He kills them again and again and again, keeping them there, frozen, killing them so quickly that they can't breathe, they can't think, they can't talk.  They gasp for air.  Again.  Again.  Again.  Finally, he surrounds them in his white pellets.  They've been killed so many times they don't know if they're even alive, or dead and just imagining this.  They don't know where they are.  They have forgotten their name.

Chara calls them back.  _Frisk,_ they say gently,  _He's stopped.  You're alive right now.  He wants to kill you again.  Listen.  Listen._ "

Flowey's voice enters into their consciousness. 

"Hee hee hee. Did you really think... you could defeat ME? I am the GOD of this world. And YOU? You're HOPELESS. Hopeless and alone... Golly, that's right! Your WORTHLESS friends can't save you now! Call for help. I dare you. Cry into the darkness! 'Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help!' See what good it does you!"

Weakly, Frisk calls for help. A quiet cry into the darkness. "Help... someone..." Nobody has come before. But they did. During the battle. Perhaps... perhaps they will come now. Frisk waits. For a moment, Flowey's true face, a flower, appears on the screen. He looks... nervous.

"But nobody came," he said, viciously, grinning. "Boy! What a shame! Nobody else... Is gonna get to see you DIE." He laughs. Frisk squeezes their eyes shut as the bullets hit. But instead of burning... they feel soft. Gentle. Kind. They open their eyes.

"What?"  Flowey stares in shock, his laughter cut off.  "How'd you...?  Well, I'll just - Wh... Where are my powers!?"  The SOULs spread out, moving away from Flowey, circling almost like predators.  "The SOULs...?  What are they doing?"  They circle faster, spinning wildly, and colored light strikes through Flowey as he shakes and shudders.  "NO!!  NO!!!!!" he shrieked, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!! STOP!!! STOP IT!!!!! STOOOOPPPP!!!!!"

The world fades to white.  Time passes.  When Frisk opens their eyes, their SOUL is back in their chest.  They see a tired looking flower, and crawl towards him.

"I spare you," they say, softly.   _Frisk, what?_  Chara does not approve.  But they will spare him.

"...What are you doing?" Flowey says weakly, "Do you really think I've learned anything from this?"  He turns towards them, just slightly, looking up from the ground.  "No."  He turns back away from them.

"I spare you," they say again.

"Sparing me won't change anything," he replies, "Killing me is the only way to end this."

"I spare you."   _Frisk, stop.  Listen to the flower._  They don't listen to Chara.

"If you let me live... I'll come back." Flowey lifts his head all the way. His face is damaged, and he seems weak.

"I spare you."

"I'll kill you."

They swallow harshly. "I spare you."

"I'll kill everyone." He opens his eyes, and they have a crazed look in them. "I'll kill everyone you love."

That gives them pause. But, again, "I spare you." Chara is screaming again.

 "...why?" Flowey whispers, "...why are you being... so nice to me?"

"I spare you," they say.

"I can't understand.  I can't understand!" he cries.

"I spare you."

"I just can't understand..."  He ran from them, then.

They collapsed in the darkness.  Everything was quiet and still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is frisk eating enough? i don't know and neither do they.
> 
> ~~why did the "first" fallen kid make it to the CORE/New Home and the "last" fallen kid make it to the Ruins oops~~
> 
> kunabee.tumblr.com if you want it. or kunabee.blogspot.com if you want writing. i mention this fanfic in neither place.


	6. Full Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'RE HERE. HOME STRETCH. ALMOST.
> 
> well i took forever. i was so Undertale for like a week i needed a break. and then i started it and lost a bunch of things i wrote and that upset me. so then i took OVER A MONTH. i am so sorry. i am the worst.

In the darkness, a phone rings.

_Frisk, wake up._

Ring, ring...

_Come on, Frisk, wake up._

They open their eyes.  It is murky black.  They swim through it, reaching for a tired old phone upgraded by a nervous scientist.  They stare at it.

**1 New Message**

_Listen,_ the voice says.

They do.

"heya.  is anyone there...?  well... just calling to ask.  did you ever take off that gross bandage...?  ...guess i should say something else, too."

"so...  it's been a while.  the queen returned, and is now ruling over the Underground.  she's enstated a new policy...  all the humans who fall here will not be treated as enemies... but as friends.  it's probably for the best, anyway.  the human souls the king gathered...  seem to have disappeared.  so, uh, that plan ain't happening any time soon.  but even though people are heartbroken over the king...  and things are looking grim for our freedom...  the queen's trying her best not to let us give up hope.  so, uh, hey...  if we're not giving up down here...  don't give up wherever you are, ok?  who knows how long it will take...  but we will get out of here."

"SANS!!!  WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO???"

"oh, nobody."

"WHAT!?  NOBODY!?  CAN I TALK TO THEM TOO???"

"here, knock yourself out."

"WAIT A SECOND...  I RECOGNIZE THIS NUMBER!!!  ATTENTION, HUMAN!  I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...  AM NOW CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!  IT'S EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DREAMED OF...  EXCEPT, INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, WE JUST WATER FLOWERS.  SO THAT'S EVER-SO-SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.  AND, WE'RE HELPING DR. ALPHYS WITH HER RESEARCH!  SHE'S GONNA FIND A WAY TO GET US OUT OF HERE.  UNDYNE IS HELPING HER TOO!  THOUGH, TO BE HONEST, HER METHOD OF HELPING... SEEMS KIND OF... EXPLOSION-INDUCING.  BUT I THINK ALPHYS LIKES HAVING HER AROUND.  UH OH!!!"

"Hey!  What are you up to, punk!?  Ngahhhh!"

"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE PHONE."

"Hey! Who's in charge here!?

"ME."

"Oh... Yeah, that's right!  I quit my job as leader of the Royal Guard.  Actually, since we won't be fighting anymore... The Royal Guard totally disbanded.  There's, uh, only one member now."

"BUT HE'S EXTREMELY GOOD."

"Yeah!!  He is!!!  C'mere!!"

"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON."

"Anyways, now I'm working as Alphys's lab assistant...  We're gonna find a way out of this dump once and for all!!  Oh, yeah, and I'm a gym teacher at the queen's new school.  Did you know I can bench-press seven children!?  Awesome, right?"  A pause.  "Hey.  I'm sorry about what happened with Asgore.  You were just doing what you had to.  It's not your fault he..."  Another pause.  "Ah, darn it.  I miss the big guy."  A third pause.  "Come on, Undyne!  Snap out of it!  Uh, I guess I'll tell you how Alphys is doing.  Well, she's the same as ever.  Maybe a little more reclusive than normal.  Seems like something's really bothering her...  But she can get through it!  I'm there supporting her!!  That's what friends are for, right?  ...Hey, wherever you are... I hope it's better than here.  It took a lot of sacrifice for you to get there...  So, wherever you are...  You have to try to be happy, okay!?  For our sakes!  We'll feel better knowing our trouble was worth it.  We're all with you!  Everyone is!  Even the queen!  ...HEYYY!  WAIT a second!  TORIEL!  TORIEL!  Do you wanna...?  ...Heh, she says she's busy."

"BUT IF SHE KNEW WHO WE WERE TALKING TO..."

"we wouldn't get the phone back for hours."

"WE HAVE THE MERCY TO SPARE YOU FROM HER!!"

"But call back any time, ok?!  She'd love to talk!"

"oh, woops.  this thing's almost out of batteries.  so, hate to cut this short, but...  be seeing you, ok, buddy?"

"BYE BYE FOR NOW!"

"See ya, punk!"

The message ends.

They hover, uncertain.

 _Why did you spare him?_ the voice asks, penetrating the silence.

They shrug.   _That's not an answer._

They spared him because he deserved a second chance.  Or... or a millionth.  Whatever chance that was.  They spared him because they would not be responsible for anyone's death.  They spared him because they needed to.

_Don't you realize that being nice just leads to pain?  You made all those great friends, but now...  Well, now they're farther than ever from breaking the barrier.  If you really did everything the right way, the best way, why did things end up like this?  Is life really that unfair?_

Yes, it was.  But that didn't mean you stopped trying.

That gives them pause.

Lights hover in front of them.  There is a word.  Besides the word is a form.  It looks very similar to their own, and yet nothing like them.

_Well, Frisk?  Are you ready to keep trying?_

Yes.

Together, Chara and Frisk press the reset button.  They wake up in a field of flowers.

There, they wait until Toriel finds them.  They follow her.  She leaves them in the room.  They know what they need to do.  Onward, forward.  They pick up the items, gather the visions.

Ribbon.

_She rests her head on Toriel's soft fur, dozing as the goat-monster reads from a book.  Her voice is soft and soothing.  It reminds the girl of her own mother, now dead.  She could be happy here.  Maybe._

_Toriel carries her to her room and sets her on the bed.  "Good night, Mama," she says sleepily._

_There's a long pause before the reply. "...Good night, little one."_

Toy knife.

_She couldn't be happy here.  She couldn't.  Everything is wrong and it isn't what it's supposed to be and she wants sunshine and home.  She reacts the only way she knew how.  She lashes out.  She uses her knife.  It hits better than it ever has before.  It feels good._

Frisk ate Toriel's pie again, and it was like the six kids that came before them were eating it too.  It was good.  To Snowdin.  They turn around and shake Sans's hand before he asks.  He's surprised.  They ask for his jacket.  He gives it to them after the lamp.

They walk with the bone brothers all the way.  They get Nice Cream again.

Pink glove.

 _"But it's pink!_ _" he complains, "It's a girl's color!"  He stares, disgusted by it.  His mother sighs._

_"It was the only one I could find.  Please, honey.  I tried my best to get it for you," she pleads._

_He sighs and put it on.  It's better than nothing.  Eventually, he would come to love it._

Manly bandanna.

_"Good God it's c-c-c-cold," says the shaking, shivering boy.  "Ab-b-b-bove gr-gr-ground it's s-summertime.  Here?  I'm f-f-f-f-freezing."  His teeth chatter violently.  The monster wraps a jacket around his shoulders._

_"This should help," says the furry rabbit, smiling at him.  The smile faded.  "Thanks for... thanks for being so kind to my little girl.  She's... I really appreciate it."_

_"She's my friend," he says, shrugging._

They head to Waterfall.  Undyne and the monster kid.  This time, they don't mind Undyne's spears.  This time, they're not afraid.

Ballet shoes.

 _Glissade, glissade, jete, pirouette, plie, releve plie, so on and so forth.  The dance is easy, at least at this part.  She doesn't even need to think about them to perform the steps.  But still she practices, endlessly, determined to be perfect.  If she sees something flawed, she corrects herself.  She is the star of this dance, the prima ballerina so to speak, and she would_ not _mess it up.  She glances at the clock.  3 AM.  Tomorrow's a school day._

Tutu.

_God, she deserves this, doesn't she?  She killed someone.  That's inexcusable.  The horrible things she's done.  It's not fair, it's not okay, it's not right.  That one death - that weighs heavy.  She deserves this.  She should be the one who's dust, not them.  Not them.  Not them._

The notebook.

_She put all her hopes and dreams in the notebook.  She closes her eyes, gathering her inner strength.  She knows what she has to do.  She reveals herself to the monster that has been chasing her.  "Take me to Asgore, please," she says, "I want my defeat to come by his hands."_

Glasses.

 _"I can see," she says in delight, staring at the mirror.  "I can see!"  She jumps up and down, clapping her hands excitedly.  Everything is so clear.  Her first pair of glasses!  It's - it's perfect.  She can_ see _, and she hasn't been able to see like that in so long...  She loves her glasses.  They're so pretty.  And they give her a gift that's better than anything else.  She can read again, not just see blurry squiggles.  And that... that's absolutely amazing._

Hotland, where they save Undyne and then empty all the water to grow a tree.  Alphys.  Mettaton, the cooking show.  The ridiculousness, his ego.

Frying pan.

_Again.  Not good enough.  Again.  Not good enough.  She just can't get it right.  Again.  Again.  Finally, shaking, the approval.  "This is good," her father says, "I'm surprised.  You finally made something edible."  She sighs in relief.  He smiles.  Finally, he smiles._

Stained apron.

_It was her grandmother's apron.  Her mother wanted to throw it out.  She begged for it.  In the darkness of her room she would wear it, pretending to be a famous chef like her grandmother was.  Down here, her apron let everyone know she was 'that human cook'.  She likes Asgore, he's kind.  They all are giving her a second chance.  A split second mistake, and she trips.  Lava, magma, it has no mercy._

The CORE, again.  With the monster mercenaries.  Doable, almost... almost easy this time.

The gun.

_He stole his father's gun.  He made sure it was empty first, of course, but it would do no good if his father chased after him.  Besides, he has played with the gun plenty of times.  He's a pretty good shot with it.  His father doesn't know, and that's okay.  His father will never see him again.  He is tired here.  He's ready to leave.  Mount Ebbot will do.  He'll make a bow and arrows and hunt for his own food.  He's a resourceful kid._

Cowboy hat.

_Killing was painful, at first.  He felt the guilt claw at him.  But now?  He does it so easily.  Just aim, and shoot.  Better than he ever expected.  The dust makes mounds around him.  They will be telling ghost stories about him for a long, long time._

New Home.  The King.  The barrier.

It stretches before them, mocking them.  A barrier to trap the monsters.  A barrier to happiness.  Asgore speaks as they stand behind him.  "This is the barrier.  This is what keeps us all trapped underground.  ...If... If by chance you have any unfinished business... Please do what you must."  They have one thing left to do.  They don't know what yet, but they know they must do it.  "I see.  Anything you want to do is important enough.  Even something as small as reading a book, or taking a walk... Please take your time."

They leave the King.  Back through the golden corridor.  Back through New Home.  Back to the CORE.

On their way from the CORE to MTT Resort, along that long balcony, they get a phone call.  From Papyrus!

"Hey...!  Uh, this is Undyne..."  Oh, right.  She was staying with Papyrus now since her house burned down.  A voice in the background... it sounds like Papyrus.  "(Shut up, Papyrus!  This was YOUR idea!)  HUMAN!  You have to deliver something for me!  Uh, please?"  Sure.  They don't mind.  "I'm in Snowdin in front of Papyrus's.  See ya, punk!"

They head all the way to the riverperson.  "Tra la la.  Care for a ride?"  Yes.  "Where will we go today?"  Snowdin.  "Then we're off..."  The riverperson stays pretty quiet on this ride.  It is as if they know things are changing.  "Come again some time.  Tra la la," says the riverperson when they arrive at shore.  They step off the boat and head for Papyrus's house.

Undyne greets them.  "Um, so, I have a favor to ask you," she says, sounding rather nervous.  Which is odd.  "Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter.  To Dr. Alphys."  Why doesn't she do it herself?  "Huh!?  ...Why don't I do it myself?  ...um.  ...W-well... It's kind of personal, but we're friends... so...  I'll t-tell you..."  Her voice gets loud, suddenly.  "Hotland SUUUUCKS!!!  I don't wanna have to go over there!!!"  Frisk suspects that is not the real reason.  "So here you go."  She hands them the letter.  "Oh, and if you read it... I'll KILL you.  Thanks so much!  You're the best!!"

Frisk walks away, looking at the letter.   _Read it.  How's she gonna know?_   Chara encourages.  That's dishonest.  They won't.  They step on the riverperson's boat instead and go back to Hotland.

The riverperson convinces Frisk to sing a song with them.  It's a goofy song and they giggle as they leave and wave good-bye.  They head to the lab.  Time to deliver the letter!  The door to the lab is locked, so Frisk slides the letter underneath the door.  They hear Alphys muttering to herself behind it, before she opens the door.

"Hey, if this is a joke, it's..."  She pauses, staring at Frisk.  "Oh My God?  Did YOU write this letter?  It wasn't signed, so, I had no idea who could have... Oh my god.  Oh no.  That's adorable..."  Wait, no, they didn't write it!  They begin to shake their head, wondering what the letter says.  "And I h-had no idea you, um, wrote that way!  It's surprising, too... After all the gross stuff I did..."  Alphys isn't even looking at them.  They're going to have to speak up.  "I don't really deserve to be forgiven."  They freeze at that.  Of course she deserves to be forgiven!  "Much less, um... This?"  She looks at them again, and they begin to shake their head again.  "And so passionately, too."  They shake their head harder, holding up a hand to stop her.   _Let her talk, Frisk.  This is HILARIOUS._  They're glad Chara is so amused by their embarrassment and case of mistaken letter-writer identity.  "...You know what, okay!  I'll do it!"  Do what?  What did the letter say?  "It's the least I can do to make it up to you!"  What?  "Y-yeah!  Let's go on a date!"

Oh.  Well.  They can totally do that.  They wait, patiently, as Alphys gets changed from her lab coat.  They figure she's only going to wear the dress they saw in her wardrobe when they browsed the lizard's house.  Lab.  Labhouse, houselab.  Whatever.

Finally, she comes out.  "H-how do I look?" Alphys stammers.  Frisk applauds.  "My friend helped me pick out this dress."  They wonder who Alphys's friend is.  "She's got a great sense of... Um, anyway!  Let's do this thing!"  Did Undyne help Alphys pick out the dress?  Well, the fish lady is pretty stylish...

"H-h-hey, w-w-wait!  Actually, we still can't start the date yet!!!"  No?  "Umm, I've gotta give you items to raise your affection statistic, first!"   _Oh my God,_ Chara snickered,  _She's acting like this is a dating sim._  She sort of was.  But it wasn't a video game at all.  "That'll increase the chance of a successful outcome to the date!  Right...?"  Frisk shrugged at Alphys.  "Anyway, d-don't worry!  I'm prepared!  I-I've been stockpiling gifts in anticipation of a date like this!  F-first, I've got... Some metal armor polish!"  Frisk holds out their arms.  They don't wear armor.  But they know who does... "Um, maybe you can't use that.  But!!!  I also brought some waterproof cream for your scales!"  ...They don't have scales.  But they know who does.  "Your, uh, scales... Uh, well, how about... This magical spear repair kit, that I... Um..."  They don't have magical spears.  But they know  _who does_.  Yes, yes, this is good.  Of course Undyne and Alphys like each other!

"Hey, let's forget about the items!  Let's just start the date!" Alphys says, "Yeah!!!  Let's, uh, date!"  A silence settles over both of them.  Frisk is fine with it at first, and then it begins to get awkward.  Alphys's smile fades and she fidgets uncomfortably.  "...uh... Do you... like... Anime...?"  They nod; they do like anime.  They like some of the shows.   _Weeaboo,_ Chara sing-songs in their head.  They ignore the voice.  "H-hey!  Me too!!"  Yes, Frisk assumed that's why she asked.  The silence returns.  After a little while, Alphys looks up again with a bright smile.  "Hey!  Let's!!  Go somewhere!!!"  Frisk nods.  That sounds like a good idea.  Where, though?  "But where's a good place to go on a date...?"  She thinks, before coming up with a solution.  "I've got it!!!  Let's go to the garbage dump!!!"  What?  The  _garbage dump_?  How was that a good location for a date?  Still, they followed Alphys to the dump.

"Here we are!" Alphys declares grandly, "This is where Undyne and I come all the time... We find all sorts of great stuff here.  Heh, she's really... Uh..."  Alphys trails off, looking in the distance.  She looks startled, suddenly.  "Oh no.  That's her over there."  They follow the lizard-scientist's gaze.  That's Undyne all right.

"I c-can't let her see me on a date with you!"  They wondered why.  "Why...?  Because, uh... Well..."   _You have a crush on her,_ Chara practically shrieked.  It took all of Frisk's self control to not react to their headmate's shenanigans.  "Oh no, here she comes!!"  Alphys runs behind a trash can, just in time to hide from Undyne.

Undyne looks straight at them.  "Hey!!  There you are!!  I, uh, realized, if you deliver that thing... It might be a bad idea."  Well it was sort of too late for that.  "So I'm gonna do it!!!  Give it to me!!!" Frisk shrugs.  They don't have the letter.

"Huh!?  You don't have it!?  Ngggaaahhh!!  Have you at least seen her!?"  Alphys is shaking behind the trash can.  Frisk just nods.

"Yes?"  Alphys freezes.  "So she's somewhere around here... Thanks.  I'll keep looking."  Frisk nods again.  Undyne runs off.

"Oh my god," Alphys says, before she's even fully out from behind the trash can.  "W... well, I guess it's obvious, huh?  I... uh... I really like her.  I mean, more than I like other people!  I'm sorry."

For what?  "I j-just figured, y-you know... It'd be f-fun to go on like, a cute, kind of... Pretend date with you?  T-to make you feel better?"

Frisk was having a little bit of fun, and Chara was having a blast laughing at Alphys, but that was no reason to feel sorry.  Couldn't Alphys figure it out yet?   _For a scientist, she's sure stupid,_ Chara observes.  Frisk scolds them silently.

"...Well, it sounds even worse when I put it like that.  I'm sorry.  I messed up again."  Frisk just shakes their head.  They aren't interested in Alphys; Undyne is!

"Undyne the person I... Um... really want to go on a date with."  That's obvious.  "But, I mean... She's way out of my league."  Except she's not, because she feels the same way.  "N-not that you aren't, um, cool!  B-but... Undyne... She's so confident... And strong... And funny... And I'm just a nobody."  Alphys isn't a nobody!   _She's a weeaboo,_ Chara snorts.  Frisk ignores them, frowning at Alphys and unsure what to say.

"A fraud," she continues, "I'm the royal scientist, but... All I've ever done is hurt people."  Wait, how has she hurt people?  Mettaton and Frisk, maybe, but... "I've told her so many lies, she thinks I'm... She thinks I'm a lot cooler than I actually am."  Oh.  That would present a problem.

"If she gets close to me, she'll... She'll find out the truth about me.  ...What should I do?"  Tell the truth, of course.  The answer is obvious.

"The truth...?" Alphys gasps, "But if I tell her that, she'll hate me."  Frisk begins to shake their head.  "Isn't it better this way?  To live a lie where both people are happy...  Or a truth where neither of us are?"  Except, obviously, Alphys wasn't happy.  And Frisk doubted Undyne was either.  "They say 'be yourself'."  Who's 'they'?  "But I don't really like who 'myself' is.  I'd rather just be whatever makes people like me."  But then, who could you know who you are, if you aren't true to yourself?

Alphys is quiet for a little while.  "...No, you're right," she finally sighs, "Every day I'm scared... Scared what will happen if people learn the truth on their own."  Frisk nods sympathetically.  "They'll all get hurt because of me... But how can I tell **Undyne** the tr... truth?  I d-don't have the confidence... I'm going to mess it up!  How can I practice!?"  They frown uncertainly.

 _Let's roleplay it,_ Chara says.  Alphys replies... to Chara.  Frisk realizes Chara said it aloud.  Fear grips their chest, the idea that maybe they didn't have full control over their body.   _Told you,_ Chara says smugly.

"R... roleplay?" Alphys says, "...That actually sounds kind of fun!  OK, which one of us will be Undyne?"  Frisk will, of course.  So Alphys can practice.

"Oh.  Right.  Obviously.  Ehehe."  She looks sheepish.  Frisk starts posing like Undyne, pretending to throw a magic spear and picking up a pebble in lieu of suplexing a boulder.  Chara laughs.

Alphys coughs.  "H-hi Undyne... H-how are you doing today?"  Frisk nods at Alphys; they are fine.  As Undyne.  Undyne is fine.

"Ha! Ha!  Glad to hear it!!"  Alphys exaggerates too much, and it's hard not to break their character and correct her.

"...Uhh, so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."  Frisk asks what she wants to talk about.  "Umm, you see... I... I... I... I h-haven't been exactly truthful w-w-with you... Y... you see, I... I... Oh, forget it!"

No, no!  She needs to tell the truth!  "Undyne!!!"  Is she... trying again?  "I... I want to tell you how I feel!  Y-youre so brave, a-and s-strong, a-and nice... Y-you always listen t-to me when I talk about n-n-nerdy stuff... Y-you always d-d-do your best to m-make me f-f-feel special... L-like t-telling me that y-you'll b-beat up anyone that g-gets in my way... UNDYNE!!!  I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER!!!  I'M MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!"

Frisk applauds, grinning at Alphys.  "HOLD ME, UNDYNE!! HOLD ME!!!"  Wait what?!  That's when Undyne shows up, staring at Alphys.  Oh man.  Frisk stares at Undyne.

"WHAT did you just say?" Undyne says, shocked.  Alphys cringes, and moves away.

"U... Undyne!  I... was... just..." she mumbles.  Undyne grins at her.

"Hey, woah, wait a second!  Your outfit's really cute!  What's the occasion?  ...Wait a second.  Are you two...  On a date?"  Undyne casts her gaze to Frisk.

"UHHH, YES!" Alphys shouts.  Frisk facepalms.  "I mean, UHHH NO!" Alphys hastily corrects.  Undyne looks confused.  They don't blame her.

"I mean, we were, but... I mean, actually we were only romantically roleplaying as you."  Well, Alphys could have phrased that better, but this is fine.  She needs truth practice.

"WHAT???" Undyne gasps.

"I MEAN!!!" Alphys shouts, "I mean..."  She trails off, her voice going quiet.  "Undyne... I... I've been lying to you!"  Undyne looks angry.  Alphys looks terrified.

"WHAT??? ABOUT WHAT???" Undyne shouts.

"About... well... Everything!  I told you that seaweed was like... scientifically important... Really, I just... I just use it to make ice cream!  And those human history books I keep reading... Those are just dorky comic books!" Alphys keeps talking faster and faster, creeping closer and closer to Undyne.  They... might be here a while.  "And the history movies... those... Those are just, uh, anime!  They aren't real!  And that time I told you I was busy with work on the phone...  I... Was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas!  That time I-"

"Alphys," Undyne interrupts.

"I... I just wanted to impress you!" Alphys continues, in a more normal tone of voice, "I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool.  That I wasn't some... nerdy loser."

"Alphys," Undyne repeats, rubbing Alphys's head.

"Undyne, I... I really think you're neat, OK..."

"Alphys," she says a third time, hugging the scientist, "Shhhhh.  Shhhhhh."  She continues to hug her and rub her head for a few moments, and then abruptly picks her up... and dunks her into the trash can with perfect precision.

"Alphys!" Undyne declares, "I... think you're neat, too, I guess.  But, you've gotta realize... Most of what you said doesn't really matter to me.  I don't care if you're watching kid cartoons or reading history books.  To me, **all** of that stuff is just NERDY **CRAP**!  What I like about you is that you're PASSIONATE!  You're ANALYTICAL!!  It doesn't matter what it is!  YOU CARE ABOUT IT!!  100-PERCENT!!  AT MAXIMUM POWER!!!"  Undyne clears her throat.  "...so, you don't have to lie to me.  I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore.  Alphys... I want to help you become happy with who you are!"  Chara gags, but Frisk thinks it's cute.

"And I know just the training you need to do that!" Undyne declares.  The trash can has been terribly still and quiet this whole time.  They wonder if Alphys is okay.  Just as they wonder that, Alphys stirs and pokes her head up above the trash can.

"Undyne... You... Y-you're gonna train me...?" she asks, and even Frisk can tell she is enamored by the idea.

Undyne laughs.  "Pffft, what?  ME?"  From behind a pile of trash Papyrus pokes his head up, and then stands all the way up.  "Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it."  Alphys is less than thrilled with that idea.

"GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN'!!!" Papyrus cheers, "IT'S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!!!:"

"Ready?" Undyne asks, "I'm about to start the timer!"

"U-Undyne..." Alphys says, sounding worried and nervous, "I'll do my best..!" She climbs out of the trash can and runs with Papyrus, looking determined.

"OH MY GOD!!!" Undyne exclaims suddenly. They look at her, startled. "She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons... those comics... Those are still REAL, right!? ANIME'S REAL, RIGHT?!?!"

Frisk hesitates. The truth is good, it would be a good example for Alphys, but they don't want to disappoint Undyne... Okay. They need to be a good example. They slowly shake their head; no, anime is not real.

"No... NO!!!! I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!!!" They cringe, feeling guilty. "...no, I can survive this... I have to be strong. For Alphys." Undyne forces on a smile. "Thank you, human, for telling me the truth."

They feel a little bit better about that. They nod.

"I'll try my best to live in this world... See you later!" Undyne grins at them, and they smile back. She jogs off after Alphys and Papyrus, leaving Frisk in the dump by themselves.

Well, no putting it off anymore. It... it must be time to fight Asgore. They walk slowly, trying to keep their head high. They don't want to fight him again. They don't want to do this... again. They just want a happy ending.  A broken barrier.  Freed monsters.

Their phone rings, and they answer it. "HOWDY!" Papyrus booms, "IF IT ISN'T MY GOOD FRIEND, WHO TRUSTS ME." Uh-oh. They don't like where this is going. "THIS IS PAPYRUS. YOUR ALSO MUTUAL FRIEND. ALPHYS AND I FINISHED OUR TRAINING EARLY." Wait, seriously? 100 laps, that quickly? Alphys could not run that fast, no way. _She's too out of shape and lame,_ Chara declares. " VERY EARLY. SO I SENT HER HOME. VERY HOME. UH... NOW. I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO... THERE. TO HER. LAB... HOUSE. I HAVE ONLY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. GOODBYE." He hugs up.

Part of them is relieved to be able to procrastinate seeing Asgore, fighting Asgore, again. The rest of them is very worried about Alphys. What happened? They know she's not the most... the most... _Mentally stable?_ Chara suggests. Yes, that. But with nicer words. They head to the river person's boat and ask to be taken to Hotland.

They feel determined.  They will help Alphys.

They run into her lab, beginning to hunt for the scientist monster.  They find a note on the ground.  They can't decipher it at all, so Chara reads it for them.

 _Hey.  Thanks for your help back there.  You guys... Your support really means a lot to me.  But... As difficult as it is to say this... You guys alone can't magically make my own problems go away.  I want to be a better person.  I don't want to be afraid anymore.  And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes.  I'm going to start doing that now.  I want to be clear.  This isn't anyone else's problem but mine.  But if you don't ever hear from me again... If you want to know "the truth."  Enter the door in front of this note.  You all at least deserve to know what I did._  Even Chara struggles with it.

Frisk gazes at the door.  They can't see beyond it, but... Well.  It's time for the truth.  And maybe... to save Alphys's life.  They know a suicide note when they see one.

They enter into an elevator.  There is one button.  They press it.  Suddenly, a booming voice echoes over the speakers.  "WARNING!  WARNING!  ELEVATOR LOSING POWER!  ALTITUDE DROPPING!  EM TETHER DESTABILIZING!"  The lights flash red and everything shakes.  Frisk loses consciousness.

Chara wakes them up.  They are in a darkened elevator, with a darkened room in front of them.  They crawl out of the elevator, everything aching.

There's a screen in the hallway, containing a lot of text.  With Chara's help, they begin to read.

**ENTRY NUMBER 1.  This is it... Time to do what the King has asked me to do.  I will create the power to free us all.  I will unleash the power of the SOUL.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 2.  The barrier is locked by SOUL power... Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially.  SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living.  So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now... The SOULs of monsters.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 3.  But extracting a SOUL from a living monster would require incredible power... Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL's host.  And, unlike the persistent SOULs of humans... The SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death.  If only I could make a monster's SOUL last...**

**ENTRY NUMBER 4.  I've been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their SOULs.  I ended up snooping around the castle, and found these weird tapes.  I don't feel like Asgore's watched them... I don't think he should.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 5.  I've done it.  Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human SOULs.  I believe this is what gives the SOULs the strength to persist after death.  The will to keep living... The resolve to change fate.  Let's call this power... "Determination".**

**ENTRY NUMBER 6.  Asgore asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down".  Their bodies came in today.  They're still comatose... And soon, they'll all turn into dust.  But what happens if I inject "determination" into them?  If their SOULs persist after they perish, then... Freedom might be closer than we all thought.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 7.  We'll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes.  After all, a monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other monsters.  Just as a human cannot absorb a human SOUL.  So then... What about something that's neither human nor monster?**

**ENTRY NUMBER 8 :)  I've chosen a candidate.  I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it...  In the center of his garden, there's something special.  The first golden flower, that grew before all the other ones.  The flower from the outside world.  It appeared just before the queen left.  I wonder... What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?**

**ENTRY NUMBER 9.  things aren't going well.  none of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can't get the SOULs.  i told the families that i would give them the dust back for the funerals.  people are starting to ask me what's happening.  what do i do?**

**ENTRY NUMBER 10. experiments on the vessel are a failure.  it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases.  whatever.  they're a hassle to work with anyway.  the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go...**

**ENTRY NUMBER 11. now that mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore, except to ask when i'm going to finish his body.  but i'm afraid if i finish his body, he won't need me anymore... then we'll never be friends ever again.  not to mention, every time i try to work on it, i just get really sweaty.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 12.  nothing is happening.  i don't know what to do.  i'll just keep injecting everything with "determination".  i want this to work.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 13. one of the bodies opened its eyes.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 14.  Everyone that had fallen down... has woken up.  They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong.  I thought they were goners...?**

**ENTRY NUMBER 15.  Seems like this research was a dead end... But at least we got a happy ending out of it...?  I sent the SOULs and the vessel back to Asgore.  And I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive.  I'll send them back tomorrow. :)**

**ENTRY NUMBER 16. no No NO NO NO NO NO**

**ENTRY NUMBER 18.  the flower's gone.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 19.  the families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home.  what am i supposed to say?  i don't even answer the phone anymore.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 20.  Asgore left me five messages today.  four about everyone being angry.  one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me.  thanks asgore.**

**ENTRY NUMBER 21. i spend all my time at the garbage dump now.  it's my element.**

They wonder where entry number 17 is, but there's no sign of the entry.  Everything feels wrong, and bad.  Chills tingle up and down Frisk's spine.  Chara is the one who moves the two of them from the screen.   _We have to find Alphys, remember?  The note that resembles a suicide note?_  they prompt.  Right.

They make it to something that seems like a main room.  There's a note.  Chara can only make out bits and pieces, so they summarize; they need to enter the center door.

There's four keyholes, for four keys.  So... they need to find keys.  Frisk feels determined.  They can do this!

They try and go through a door, but it's locked, so they head to the hallway on the left.  They find a room with three beds and three sinks, along with a couple of cupboards.

Frisk looks over by the sinks, curious.  They turn on all three sinks, feeling almost compelled to do so.  In the last one, a creature popped out - no, three creatures!  They stumble back, afraid.

Their phone makes a strange beeping noise, and they pull it out and hold it up.  Voices come through the static.  " _come join the fun,_ " the creatures hiss.  Frisk shakes their head furiously.  " _become one of us,_ " they say in their ominous voice.  Frisk shakes their head again.  " _oh well,_ " one says.  The other two hiss.  Frisk continues to refuse, dodging their wild limbs and pounding heads, their bizarre shapes and teleporting.  Frisk's SOUL shines brilliant red.

" _oh well,_ " another one says.  Only one of them remains.  This one shrugs at Frisk, and then disappears.  They put their phone away, shaking.  There in the sinks is a red key.  They pick it up and go to the back room.

A red slot for the red key.  They slip it in.  Things shake and something hums to life.  They go back to the main room where they find the first color on the door lit up.  The other door, the red one, isn't locked anymore.  They move forward.

There's a room with a lot of beds.  They... could probably use a nap.  They crawl into one of the beds.  They find themselves dozing off, when... someone picks up the blankets, covers them.  A strange, white shape that pats their head, and then is gone.

...They can't sleep now.  They climb out of the bed and move on, disturbed.  They find a room filled with mirrors and flowers.

Towards the end of the room, they see something in the reflection of a mirror.  A strange creature that looks like a bird, or maybe resembles... yes, that's definitely an Astigmatism!  Butterfly bullets, so reminiscent of a Whimsalot's attack, attack the creature.  Frisk knows what to do.  They plead with the creature.  Something shifts.  The creature seems to remember something.

As the butterflies fly wildly around, they know what to do for the Astigmatism.  They call the creature a mean name they heard their mother call them when talking to someone else.  It works.  More and more words are clear from the garbled gibberish the creature says.  " _afraid of? ...hope..._ "

Heads are thrown at them, and they can see another shape in the creature.  A Froggit, but - no, a Final Froggit.  They perplex the Froggit, and that further soothes the creature.

The words finally clarify.  "Someone finally gets it," Astigmatism says.  Final Froggit ribbits.  "Courage," Whimsalot encourages.  The creature leaves, leaving with giving Frisk a gentle pat on the head.

They close their eeys and take a deep breath.  They're beginning to put two and two together.  They think they know what happened.

They move on.  The next room has a slot for a blue key.  Okay.  They'll come back here later.  They go back to the bedroom, and head into the room behind the beds.

It's a long hallway.  There's another screen, with a single entry.

**ENTRY NUMBER 17.  DARK DARK YET DARKER.  THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING.  SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER.  PHOTON READINGS NEGATIVE.  THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT WILL BE VERY VERY INTERESTING.  ...WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?**

They have no idea what it means; it's certainly not like how Alphys types or talks.  Entry number 17, the entry that was missing before.  They stare at it the screen for a while before they head to the left.  They can go into two different rooms; they go into the one leading further back first.

Something is moving, behind a curtain.  They take one uncertain step forward, then another.  Another, another.  No.  They can't do this.  They run back out, closing their eyes tightly shut and taking a deep breath.

 _Let me,_ Chara says,  _I can do this._  They agree.  Chara goes back in.  They walk slowly, too, and it's so strange to see their body through a stranger's eyes, to feel it being moved by someone else.

Chara pulls back the curtain.  The strange waving shape... There's nothing there.  Nothing but a key.

A green key.  They pick it up.  The next room has a strange and frightening machine in it.  They move to get a better view of the machine, when some bizarre creature comes from nowhere, dropping down on them.  Their SOUL glows red.

"Welcome to my special hell," the creature says, and then attacks.  Frisk gets hit by their shining bullets.

They wake up in the main room where they last felt determined.  Red key, through the door.  Bedroom, green key, the bird-like creature that's made up of others.  Back to the shining-bullets creature.

Something seems familair about the creature. They recognize that face; a moldbygg.  So they step away, give it distance.  The teeth shake.  It attacks again, wild and erratic.

The body seems familiar.  Frisk hums a soft song, and the body shakes.  Shyren's melody, the most beautiful song.  "Do you think I'm pretty?" the creature begs, a chorus of voices.  Yes, Frisk says.  "That's what they all say," it sobs, and attacks again.

That arm... Frisk flexes.  They flex in response.  "I've felt this before," it says in its many voices.

Pacified, they creep away, leaving without argument.  Frisk sighs in relief, and stares at the machine in front of them.  A terrifying thing, with sharp teeth and sharp edges. They don't like it.

A sign declares it to be the "DT EXTRACTION MACHINE", status inactive.

They go into another room, where there's a TV and tapes.  VHS, Frisk remembers.  Chara's proud.  There's special ones, set aside especially, and Frisk picks one out and puts it in the player.

There's some vague shapes, and Toriel's voice comes through.  "Pssst.  Gorey, wake up."

"Mmm?" Asgore replies, "What is it, dear? ...err, and why do you have that video camera?"

"Shush!  I want to get your reaction," Toriel giggles, "Gorey, dearest.  What is my favorite vegetable?"

"Hmmm... Carrots, right?" Asgore suggests.

"No no no!" Toriel scolds, still giggling, "My FAVORITE vegetable is... Eda- **mom** -e."  She pauses.  "...get it???"

"...Go back to bed, dear," Asgore sighs, but Frisk can tell he's still amused.

"No no!!  Not yet!  Hee hee hee.  Now, if I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?" Toriel asks.

"Hmm... I don't know, honey.  What kind of dog would you be?" Asgore replies.  He sounds like he's smiling, and Frisk has to smile too.

"I would be... A  **mom** eranian!" Toriel chortles.

Asgore laughs at that.  "You sure are excited to have this child.  You know, if you keep making jokes like this... One day, you could be... a famous  **mom** edian."

Toriel goes silent for a moment.  "...Well, I am going to bed."

"Hey!" Asgore protests, "Come on, Tori!  That one was funny!"

"Hahaha, I know," Toriel giggles, "I am just teasing you.  Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey," Asgore replies.  The tape ends.

 _I miss them,_ Chara says miserably,  _I miss them so much._

Of course.  This was Chara's family, the people who helped them when they came underground. Frisk puts in the next tape.

"Okay, Chara, are you ready?" comes an unfamiliar voice.  "Do your creepy face!  AHHHHH!!  Hee hee hee!  Oh!  Wait!  I had the lens cap on... What!?  You're not gonna do it again...?  Come on, quit tricking me!  Haha!"  The video ends.  Chara is bawling, but Frisk moves on to the next one with shaking hands.

"Howdy, Chara!  Smile for the camera!" comes the voice from before, "Ha, this time I got YOU!  I left the cap on... ON PURPOSE!  Now you're smiling for noooo reason!  Hee hee hee!"  Chara's voice cuts through this time, though Frisk can't make out what they're saying.

"What?  Oh, yeah, I remember.  When we tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad, right?  The recipe asked for cups of butter... But we accidently put in buttercups instead.  Yeah!  Those flowers got him really sick.  I felt so bad.  We made Mom really upset.  I should have laughed it off, like you did... Um, anyway, where are you going with this?" he asks.  Chara asks him to turn off the camera, and he does.

Frisk takes a deep breath, and puts in the next tape.   _It's Asriel,_ Chara says, solemn,  _My brother.  He's the one talking._  The tape starts.

"I... I don't like this idea, Chara."  He responds to something Frisk can't make out.  "Wh... what?  N-no, I'm not... ...big kids don't cry.  Yeah, you're right."

"Are you having doubts?" Chara asks.

"No!  I'd never doubt you, Chara... Never!" Asriel says.

"Okay.  Cuz we have to be strong."

"Y... yeah!  We'll be strong!  We'll free everyone.  I'll go get the flowers."

The tape ends.  Frisk closes their eyes as they rest their hands on the final tape.   _I think I know what this one is, I think I remember this,_ Chara says,  _Put it in, Frisk.  Put it in._  They do.

"Chara... Can you hear me?  We want you to wake up... Chara!  You have to stay determined!  You can't give up... You are the future of humans and monsters..."  Asgore bows his head on the video, the first video where Frisk can see images.

"Psst... Chara... Please... wake up," Asriel begs.  He's the one holding the camera.  "I don't like this plan anymore.  I... I... ...no, I said... I said I'd never doubt you.  Six, right?  We just have to get six... And we'll do it together, right?"  Chara doesn't respond.  The tape ends.

Frisk sits down, staring at the screen as the VHS tape ejects.   _Buttercups,_ Chara says,  _We had the perfect plan.  I would poison myself with buttercups.  But I couldn't let Mom and Dad, Toriel and Asgore, find out.  So I would ask for a cup of water, and Asriel would bring me more buttercups.  A code, 'cup'.  I'd drink the water he'd bring me, too.  Every time Dad wasn't working in the garden.  We were going to get six SOULs.  We'd go to my town, where terrible people lived.  Horrible people.  We'd get six SOULs.  It... didn't work out like that._

No, Frisk assumes it didn't.  Slowly they get up.  They have to move on.

Next to the TV is a slot for a yellow key.  They don't have a yellow key yet, only a green one.  They must move forward.

The room past the DT Extractor is foggy.  So foggy they can't really see.  They stumble forward in the mist.

No, they can't see anything.  They stumble back out, coughing.  Ugh... that's a lot of dust.  They go back to the hallway and walk to the other side now.

The next room is also filled with dust and mist, but Frisk can actually see things in here.  There's white stuff floating in the mist.  There's a button... they turn the fans on.  The white collects into something... like a dog... It creeps closer and closer to them, and they press against the wall.  There's a hole instead of a face.

The legs form dog shapes, too.  It's a dog, but it's not like any dog Frisk has ever seen before.  But it's... a dog.

So they reach out a cautious hand and pet the dog.  The fur is slightly sticky, but the dog wags its strange tail-shape.

The dog bounds around energetically, excitedly.  Frisk pulls one of their items from their dimensional box and plays fetch with the dog.  The dog barks happily, but it's a chorus of voices and barking.  Frisk pets the dog again, and it leaves, content.

They are cheered by the dog petting, which leaves Chara groaning.  Frisk and dogs,  _really._  A new, determined spring enters their step.  They're almost there, almost ready.  They can  **feel** it.

The room by the DT Extractor has five refrigerators.  The third one is shaking.  Frisk opens it, hesitantly.

There's just some... strange samples, inside.  They open all the others.  The two before that one are empty.  The fourth one has more samples.  The fifth one... inside that is a strange, vaguely humanoid creature.  No - not humanoid - Vegetoids have melted with another monster.  A monster that looks like, Snowdrake!

"...sn...o...wy..." it rasps.  Snowdrake's mother.  Frisk's heart nearly stops and they close their eyes.   _It seems like she's losing herself,_ Chara observes; the creature seems to be falling apart at this point.  Frisk closes their eyes.  A joke would be good... They make a joke.

"When it blizzards, it's  **snow** joke," Frisk says.  Chara groans, but... slowly... she smiles.

"haha... i... remem...ber..." she says, seeming to find the pun genuinely funny.  Frisk tries another one.

"I hate when people give me the  **cold** shoulder."

"haha... thank... you..."  It's working!  Another pun.

" **Ice** to meet you."

Snowdrake's mother seems... so very happy now.  She smiles at Frisk, and leaves.  A blue key remains and Frisk picks it up.

Behind the refridgerator room is a slot for the green key.  They push the key into the hole, and more humming starts up.  Energy being restored.

Okay, and now to the room with the place for the blue key, and...

They don't know where to find the yellow key.  Wait!  They rush back to the bedroom and start looking under the covers of the beds.  Eventually, they find the yellow key.  Last slot now!

The key fits perfectly, and all the noisy humming fades.  They run back to the first room.  An elevator!  The power is lost, though.  But this elevator has another door that they leave through.  They turn the power on.

Suddenly, creatures - several different creatures - approach.  They're terrified, shaking.  Alphys calls out.

"Hey!" she shouts, "Stop!!!"  The yellow lizard rushes up to the creatures, unafraid.  "I got you guys some food, okay!?"  They happily rush towards where the food is.  Alphys looks away.  "Sorry about that... They get kind of sassy when they don't get fed on time."

 _Is 'sassy' what she calls it?  I'd call it terrifying,_ Chara scoffs.

"Um!! Anyway!  The power went out, and I've been trying to turn it back on!  But it seems like you were one step ahead of me.  This was probably just a big inconvenience for you... B-but I appreciate that you came here to back me up!"  Frisk nods.  Of course they came to help her!

"As I said, I was afraid I might... Not come back... But that's not because of these guys or anything!  I was just worried I would be too afraid... To tell the truth... That I might run away, or do something... Cowardly."

Frisk nods.  This time, they didn't tell Alphys or Undyne about their problems, their feelings.  So Alphys wouldn't know that they'd understand.

"...Uh... I... I suppose I owe you an explanation."  Alphys still doesn't look at them.  "As you probably know, Asgore asked me to study the nature of SOULs.  During my research, I isolated a power I called 'determination.'  I injected it into dying monsters so their SOULs would last after death.  But the experiment failed.  You see, unlike humans', monsters' bodies don't have enough... physical matter to take those concentrations of 'determination.'  Their bodies started to melt, and lost what physicality they had.  Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into... well, I call them 'amalgamates'.  Seeing them like this, I knew... I couldn't tell their families about it.  I couldn't tell anyone about it.  No matter how much everyone was asking me.  And I was too afraid to do any more work, knowing... everything I'd done so far had been such a horrific failure.  ...but now.  Now, I've changed my mind about all this.  I'm going to tell everyone what I've done.  It's going to be hard.  Being honest... believing in myself...  I'm sure there will be times where I'll struggle.  I'm sure there will be times where I screw up again.  But knowing, deep down, that I have friends to fall back on...  I know it'll be a lot easier to stand on my own."  Alphys finally looks at Frisk, forcing a smile.

"Thank you."  The amalgamates return, now fed.  "Come on, guys," Alphys says, turning to them, "It's time for everyone to go home."  Frisk watches them leave, and then heads out.

They feel determined.  Time to face Asgore again.  And this time... this time... they will find the way to break the barrier.

After all... Flowey will capture the SOULs again, won't he?

Out in the hallway, an eerie red light glows from a screen.  A face... like Flowey's face.  They read the screen.  Entry number eight.  Entry number 18.

...Flowey was the candidate?  Oh, no...

In the elevator, their phone rings.  Ominously.

They don't recognize the voice that comes from it, but it... something about it seems vaguely familiar.

"Chara... are you there?  It's been a long time, hasn't it...?  But you've done well.  Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place.  Chara... See you soon."

The voice hangs up, the elevator closes, and then all of a sudden they're flying up, up, up, so fast, impossibly fast.  They fall to the ground, hitting their elbow and causing it to bruise.  They are practically rolled out of the elevator.  Vines close it, breaking it.

They're in New Home, and they can't turn around.  The vines refuse to budge.

They swallow harshly.   _It's okay, Frisk,_ Chara says,  _I... think I might know who it is._  They refuse to tell Frisk the answer, however.

Frisk walks to another elevator, rides it up to just by the golden hallway.  They feel determined.  They will do this.  They will face Asgore and not fight him.  They will free the monsters.  They will find out who Chara thinks the voice is.

They meet Asgore.

"Oh... Back so soon?" he asks, softly.  They suppose every time would feel so soon.  "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ready," Frisk says.

"...I see..." Asgore sighs, "This is it, then.  Ready?"  He turns around to face them, and the SOULs rise up.

Twilight shines through the barrier.  Their journey is finally over.  They are determined.  This time... They will not fight.

"Human... It was nice to meet you.  Goodbye."  Just before Asgore can pull out his trident, however, familiar fire magic hits him.

They turn around, their SOUL still shining.  There is Toriel!

"What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent, youth...  Do not be afraid, my child," she says, coming and wrapping Frisk in a hug.  They nearly cry, to see Toriel again, to have her hug them again.  "It is I, Toriel, your friend and guardian.  At first, I thought I  would let you make your journey alone... But I could not stop worrying about you.  Your adventure must have been so treacherous."  Yes, but nothing they could not handle.  "...and ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice.  To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person.  You would have to defeat Asgore.  However... I realized... I cannot allow that.  It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone else leave here.  Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time?"  They nod in agreement with her words.  "So, for now, let us suspend this battle.  As terrible as Asgore is... He deserves mercy too."  Asgore isn't terrible.  Before they can protest, Asgore speaks, staring at her with love and happiness and regret, all wrapped in one.

"Tori... You came back...!"

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr!" Toriel scolds, "You pathetic whelp."  Asgore bows his head.  "If you really wanted to free our kind... You could have gone through the barrier after you got  **one** SOUL, taken six SOULs from the humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully.  But instead, you made everyone live in despair because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

"It wouldn't have been peaceful," Frisk says, interrupting their conversation.  The two goat monsters look at them in surprise.  "It would have been nasty.  Bad things would have happened, like they happened to Chara and Asriel."

Both of them recoil in pain.  "My child... how did you hear of that?" Toriel asks, softly.

 _Don't tell them I'm here!_ Chara begs.  "It's a story I learned as I traveled, in bits and pieces," Frisk says, "I put the rest together, to figure it out."

"Toriel is still right," Asgore says quietly, "I am a miserable creature... but, do you think we can at least be friends again?"  He turns to Toriel, desperate.

Toriel sighs.  "No, Asgore."  He closes his eyes, fighting tears.  Undyne arrives.

"Ngahhhhhh!!! Asgore!  Human!!" she shouts, "Nobody fight each other!!!  Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll...!!  I'll... ..."  She trails off.  Toriel interrupts.

"Hello.  I am Toriel.  Are you the human's friend?" she asks, "It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah...?"  Undyne beams at her, "Nice to meet you!"  She hurries over to Asgore, who has his head still bowed, looking miserably.  "Hey Asgore," she says in a voice that's failing at being quiet, "is that your ex?  Jeez.  That's rough, buddy."

Alphys arrives, and Frisk starts grinning.  Is everyone going to show up?  "H-hey!" Alphys shouts, "Nobody hurt each other!!"  Yes, Toriel took care of Asgore fighting Frisk, and Undyne took care of Toriel hurting Asgore.  Alphys looks embarrassed as she realizes this.

"Oh!  Are you another friend?" Toriel asks excitedly, "I am Toriel.  Hello!"

"Uh, h-h-hi!" Alphys stammers.  She leans into Frisk and whispers, "there's two of them???"  Frisk shrugs and nods.  Close enough.

"HEY! NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE!" Papyrus shouts as he runs in the room, "IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE...! THEN I'LL!!! BE FORCED!!! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!!!" Frisk giggles.

"Hello!" Toriel says, cheerfully, though her smile is starting to fade. She's beginning to look vaguely confused.

"OH! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY! PSST! HEY, HUMAN... DID ASGORE SHAVE...? AND... CLONE HIMSELF????" Frisk giggles wildly at that, falling over. Chara's laughing too.

"hey guys... what's up?" Sans says as he saunters in casually, unworried.

"That voice...!!" Toriel gasps, rushing over to where Sans is, "Hello, I think we may... Know each other?"

"oh hey... i recognize your voice, too."

"I am Toriel. So nice to meet you. Officially, and without a door in the way." She laughs.

"name's sans. and, uh, same." He winks then.

"Oh! Wait, then...! This must be your brother, Papyrus! Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you."

"WOWIE... I CAN'T BELIEVE ASGORE'S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM!!!" Frisk is sent into a fresh wave of giggles. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!"

"Hey, Papyrus... What does a skeleton tile his roof with?" Toriel asks. Sans starts snickering.

"HMM... SNOW-PROOF ROOF TILES???"

"No, silly! A skeleton tiles his roof with..." Toriel giggles. "SHIN-gles!" Papyrus looks shocked, and then annoyed.

"I CHANGED MY MIND!!! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!"

"Come on, Asgore! It's gonna be ok!" Undyne said encouragingly. Asgore had started to cry. "There are plenty of fish in the sea..."

"Y-yeah, Asgore!!" Alphys chorused, "Undyne's totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you've just got to, uh... S-stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh... J-just get to know a really cute fish...?" Alphys starts to blush. Frisk starts giggling. _I should have known,_ Chara snorts, _The weeaboo has a crush on Asgore too._

"It's a metaphor," Alphys offers, embarrassed.

"Well," Undyne says, clearing her throat, "I think it's a good analogy."

Mettaton arrives, pointing his legs at Alphys and Undyne. "OH MY GOD!" he gasps dramatically, "Will you two just **smooch** already!? The audience is dying for some romantic action!!!" This sends Frisk into a fresh wave of giggles. Toriel looks almost worried.

"HEY, SHUT UP!!!" Undyne yells, "Man, the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys!??"

Alphys is staring at Mettaton. "Uh, Alphys?" the fish-lady prompts.

"...No," Alphys says, "He's right. Let's do it!"

Frisk cheers. "Kiss!" they exclaim. _Kiss!_ Chara echoes. Undyne looks horribly confused. Asgore is shocked. Toriel looks vaguely worried, and it's hard to read Sans's permanent smile.

"Well??? Uh??? I guess??? If you want to??? Then???" Undyne says, sounding bewildered, "Don't hold anything back!!!" She blushes and grins at that. The two of them lean down, and Toriel interrupts and gets in between them.

"W-wait!" she exclaims, "Not in front of the human!" Frisk looks aghast, and even Chara is disappointed.

"Uhh, right! S-sorry, I got a little carried away there," Alphys admits sheepishly. Undyne grins and blushes.

"Hee hee hee," Toriel giggles, "My child, it seems as if you must stay here for a while. But looking at all the great friends you have made... I think... I think you will be happy here." Frisk nods. They will. Here is fine.

But they also feel **determined**. There is something else they must do. Something important. The barrier shines around them.

"H-hey, that reminds me," Alphys says, blinking, "Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her. Uh, anyway... If I got here before you... How did you know how to call everybody?"

Frisk feels a chill shiver up and down their spine, their whole body going cold.

"LET'S JUST SAY... A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME."

"A tiny... flower?" Alphys stammers. She puts the pieces together. A vine shoots out and grabs a hold of all of the monsters in front of them, leaving Frisk untouched.

Flowey pops out from the ground.  "You IDIOTS," he laughs, "While you guys were having your little pow-wow... I took the human SOULs!  And now, not only are THOSE under my power... But all of your friends' SOULs are gonna be mine, too!  Hee hee hee."

Frisk stares at them, as they're caught in the vines.  Undyne is struggling furiously.  Sans seems resigned.  Paprus seems stunned, frozen.  Every so often, Toriel and Asgore will wiggle just slightly, as if trying to loosen the vines.  Alphys... it seems like Alphys may actually be hurt.

"And you know what the best part is?  It's all your fault.  It's all because you MADE THEM love you.  All the time you spent listening to them... Encouraging them... Caring about them... Without that, they wouldn't have come here.  And now, with their SOULs and the humans' together... I will achieve my REAL FORM.  Hee hee..."

" _Why are you doing this?_ " Chara asks aloud, using Frisk's voice and mouth.

"Don't you get it?  This is all just a GAME.  If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll 'win' the game.  If you 'win', you won't want to 'play' with me anymore.  And what would I do then?  But this game between us will NEVER end.  I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach... and then tear it away just before you grasp it.  Over, and over, and over... Hee hee hee."

"This isn't a game," Frisk said in a shaking voice, "This... isn't a game..."

"Listen.  If you  **do** defeat me, I'll give you your 'happy ending'.  I'll bring your friends back.  I'll destroy the barrier.  Everyone will finally be satisfied.  But that WON'T happen.  You...!  I'll keep you here no matter what!   Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!!!"

Bullets surround Frisk, their SOUL trapped and unable to move as it shines bright red.  They hit, one by one, powerfully painful.  Frisk collapses, shaking and crying out.

 Bright flames surround Frisk, hitting the bullets away.  They look up towards Toriel, every bone in their body aching.

"What?" Flowey says in shock.

"Do not be afraid, my child," Toriel gasps in a strained voice, "No matter what happens... We will always be there to protect you!"

More bullets aim.  A bone deflects some; a spear catches the others.

THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN!  YOU CAN WIN!!  JUST DO WHAT I, WOULD DO...  BELIEVE IN YOU!!!" Papyrus exclaims.

 "Hey!  Human!" Undyne chimes in, "If you got past **me** , you can do ANYTHING!  So don't worry!  We're with you all the way!"

Healing magic soothes Frisk's injuries. "huh?  you haven't beaten this guy yet?  come on, this weirdo's got nothin' on you," Sans says encouragingly.

More bullets. Blocked by more fire magic, and something electric from Alphys. "Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him," Alphys points out, "B-but... somehow, I know you can do it!!" Frisk is healed more.

"Human, for the future of humans and monsters...! You have to stay determined...!" Asgore looks at Frisk with hope in his eyes.

 _He hasn't had hope in so long..._ Frisk can feel Chara's hand on their shoulder, and when they turn the person who has been a voice in their head smiles at them. _I'm with you, Frisk. All the way._

More monsters arrive - Muffet, Monster Kid, Vulkin, Shyren, the Froggits and dogs and guards and everyone. They cheer for Frisk too, and healing magic bathes the human until they are entirely healed.

"Urrrgh... NO!" Flowey cries, "Unbelievable!! This can't be happening...! You... YOU...! I can't believe you're all so STUPID! ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!!!"

Light and electricity bloom everywhere, things fading completely black. Light returns, slowly, only framing a small monster child with his back turn.

"Finally," Asriel says, "I was so tired of being a flower." He turns to Frisk, and smiles. "Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend."

His form changes. Chara can't help but laugh. _Oh my god,_ they cackle, _It's his overpowered OC!_

Asriel stands in front of them. He attacks, showering stars in front of them. Frisk holds tight to their hope, and dodges.

"You know... I don't care about destroying this world anymore," Asriel says, "After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline... I just want to reset everything. All your progress... Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero! Then we can do everything ALL over again."

 No.  They had come too far and fought too hard to do it all again.  They dodged his attacks.   _Star Blazing,_ Chara said,  _Chaos Buster.  Chaos Saber._  They knew the names of their brother's attacks by heart.

"And you know what the best part of all this is?  You'll **do**  it."  This time the attack hits.  It hurts, but they refuse.  They will not fail.  They hold their SOUL together.  The love of their friends heals them.

"And then you'll lose to me again.  And again.  And again!!!  Because you want a 'happy ending'.  Because you 'love your friends'.  Because you 'never give up'," Asriel sneered.  "Isn't that delicious?  Your 'determination'.  The power that let you get this far... It's gonna be your downfall!"  He cackled.

"Now, ENOUGH messing around!  It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!"  The next attack was overwhelming.  Burning light everywhere, hitting them again and again.  They tried to dodge, but they kept getting hit and battered.

Still they did not give up.  The attack ended.  "...even after that attack, you're still standing in my way...?  Wow... You really ARE something special.  But don't get cocky.  Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power!"  Frisk stared at him, shaking.  They felt so tired.

 _We can do this, Frisk,_ Chara said.  And this time the healing magic that filled them up was Chara's.  The other seemed stunned, looking at their ghostly hands and then at Frisk.

"Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!!"  Everything shifts and changes.  Frisk can't move, their SOUL is entirely frozen.  They stare at Asriel.

"Urah ha ha ha.. Behold my TRUE power!"  He attacks.  Their SOUL breaks.  They force it back together.  They won't let Asriel win.  They will not be defeated.

"I can feel it... Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away.  Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more.  Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you."  He attacks again.  They refuse.  "Still, you're hanging on...?  That's fine.  In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too.  That attitude will serve you well in your next life!"  Another attack; this time they manage to dodge it.

"Ura ha ha... Still!?  Come on... Show me what good your DETERMINATION is now!"  It's good enough to win.  They will win.

They can SAVE.  Not like they have before, no.  They can SAVE others.

They can SAVE Toriel.  They reach, and find Toriel and Asgore.  They hug them both, say they refuse to fight.

The memories return.  "Your fate is up to you now," Toriel says.  Asgore says, "You are our future!

Papyrus and Sans.  They joke, they laugh, they do a puzzle.  Ask for spaghetti.  The two return to themselves.

"NO!  WAIT!!  YOU'RE MY FRIEND!  I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!!" Papyrus exclaims.  Sans shrugs, nonchalant, as he says, "nah, i'm rootin for ya, kid."

 Undyne.  Frisk taps her arm, asks her to teach them how to cook.  Smiles big at them.  Undyne remembers herself and smiles back.  "Well, some humans are OK, I guess!"

Alphys and Mettaton.  Frisk compliments Mettaton.  They encourage Alphys to keep going.  They pretend to take pictures of the robot, and then talk about nerdy things with Alphys.  The two of them smile at the human.

"No, that's not true!  My friends like me!  And I like you, too!" Alphys exclaims.  Mettaton smiles as he speaks, "Take the world by storm, darling!"  He lifts his leg up dramatically, and Frisk giggles.

White light surrounds them, and soon they find themselves facing Asriel again.  They feel... something.  Someone else needs to be saved.

 _No_.  Two someones.  Chara and Asriel.  They reach out, call out for the siblings.

"Huh!?  What are you doing?!" Asriel exclaims.

"Chara Dreemurr," Frisk says.  "Asriel Dreemurr."

Memories flood their mind, of happy times between the siblings.  Asriel bows his head in front of them.

Chara is... crying.   _No I'm not,_ they say,  _Only babies cry._  It's okay to cry.  It's okay.

"Wh... what did you do...?" Asriel gasps, "What's this feeling...?  What's happening to me?  No!  NO!  I don't need ANYONE!"  He attacks, furiously.  They can't dodge.  They refuse.  They refuse.

"Chara Dreemurr," Frisk says again, "Asriel Dreemurr.  Buttercups.  Six SOULs.  A broken barrier.  But all of that..."

They close their eyes and crawl for the words, grasping desperately for them, reaching out.  "Love.  A family.  Home.  Mom and Dad, butterscotch pie.  That's it.  Don't you remember?"

"STOP IT!  Get away from me!" Asriel cries, "Do you hear me!?  I'll tear you apart!"  Another vicious attack.  This one they manage to dodge.

"You don't have to be alone, Asriel.  You don't have to be alone anymore!  Someone came!   _Chara_ came!" Frisk cries.

"Chara," Asriel whispers, the name seeming to burn, "Do you know why I'm doing this...?  Why I keep fighting to keep you around...?"  Fire magic rains around them, and they look at Asriel, waiting for his explanation.  Chara waits, too.

"I'm doing this... Because you're special, Chara.  You're the only one that understands me.  You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore."  Chara wants more, more of an explanation from their brother.

"No," he sighs heavily, "That's not JUST it.  I... I... I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara!  I care about you more than anybody else!"   _I care about you, too,_ Chara says.  They don't take Frisk's voice this time, but it's almost like Asriel hears them anyway.

"I'm not ready for this to end.  I'm not ready for you to leave.  I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again... So please... STOP doing this..."  Asriel begins to cry.  "AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!"  He attacks.  Frisk feels battered, exhausted, destroyed.  Their soul shakes, barely hanging on.  But still it hangs on.  "STOP IT!  STOP IT NOW!!!" he  shrieks.  They keep it together, keep it whole.  Chara holds onto it, refusing to let it break, refusing to let Frisk die.

"Chara," Asriel rasps.  His attack is over.  He seems gray and worn.  "I'm so alone, Chara... I'm so afraid, Chara..."  His body begins to shift, slowly.  "Chara, I... I..."  Asriel Dreemurr stands in front of Frisk then, a tiny child once more.  "I'm so sorry," he whispers.

He wipes his eyes, fighting against the tears.  "I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?" he says, "...I know.  You're not actually Chara, are you?"  Frisk shakes their head.  They can't say anything more before Asriel continues.  "Chara's been gone for a long time."   _I'm right here, Azzy,_ Chara says desperately.  "Um... what... What IS your name?"

"Frisk," they say.  They refuse to say more.

Asriel repeats their name.  "That's... a nice name.  Frisk... I haven't felt like this for a long time.  As a flower, I was SOULless.  I lacked the power to love other people.  However, with everyone's SOULs inside me... I not only have my own compassion back... But I can feel every other monster's as well.  They all care about each other so much.  And... they care about you too, Frisk."

 _Of course they do,_ Chara says,  _Frisk the pacifist.  Frisk the hero._  They're no hero.  They're just a scared kid.   _Yeah,_ Chara agrees,  _Me too._

"I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you.  Papyrus... Sans... Undyne... Alphys...  ...Toriel.  Monsters are weird.  Even though they barely know you... It feels like they all really love you."

"I love them too," Frisk says.  Asriel laughs.

"Frisk... I... I understand if you can't forgive me.  I understand if you hate me.  I acted so strange and horrible.  I hurt you.  I hurt so many people.  Friends, family, bystanders... There's no excuse for what I've done."

Chara doesn't even have to ask.  "I forgive you," Frisk tells him.   _I forgive you,_ Chara echoes.

"Wh... what?  ...Frisk, come on.  You're... You're gonna make me cry again.  ...besides, even if you do forgive me... I can't keep these SOULs inside of me.  The least I can do is return them.  But first... There's something I have to do.  Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one.  They're all burning with the same desire.  With everyone's power... With everyone's determination... It's time for monsters... To finally go free."  He gets a determined look on his face, an expression Frisk knows well from their own.  Asriel spreads out his arms, and hovers in the air.  Monster and human SOULs spiral around him.  The barrier cracks and shatters, magic falling around them like fairy dust, glittering and sparkling.  Frisk approaches.

The SOULs go free.

"Frisk..."  Asriel turns to them, head bowed.  Still Asriel, not Flowey.  "I have to go now.  Without the power of everyone's SOULs... I can't keep maintaining this form.  In a little while... I'll turn back into a flower.  I'll stop being 'myself'.  I'll stop being able to feel love again.  So... Frisk.  It's best if you just forget about me, OK?"

Frisk starts shaking their head.

"Just go be with the people who love you."  Frisk runs to him, and embraces him in a hug.  Chara hugs him too, and he hugs back.  He laughs and cries at the same time.  Chara joins him, though only Frisk can hear them.

"I don't want to let go," Asriel whispers, but he pulls away and Frisk steps back.

"Frisk... You're... You're going to do a great job, ok?  No matter what you do.  Everyone will be there for you, okay?"  Frisk smiles at Asriel.  He looks at in the distance.  "Well... My time's running out.  Goodbye."  He leaves, slowly, and they watch.

" _I'll take care of Mom and Dad for you,_ Azzy _,_ " Chara says, using Frisk's voice and mouth.  They nod, furiously.

They watch him leave in silence.

...Asgore's voice echoes.  "Frisk!  Please, wake up...!"  They open their eyes slowly.  Asgore, Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys.  They stand around them.  They smile at their friends.  Their family, and slowly stand.

"Oh!  You are awake!  Thank goodness!"  Toriel sounds relieved.

"W-we were so worried...!" Alphys adds, "It felt like you were out forever!"

"Yeah!  Any longer and I would have freaked out!" Undyne laughs, "Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?"

Frisk giggles.

"yeah, Sans says, "you made papyrus cry like a baby."

"WHAT!!" Papyrus exclaims, horrified, "I DID NOT CRY!!  I DO NOT CRY!!!  I JUST... CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE!!"

"what did you catch?" Sans asks.

"TEARS!!!" Frisk giggles at the skeleton brothers' shenanigans.

"Now, now," Asgore says, "The important part is that Frisk is all right.  Here, Frisk.  Why not drink some tea?  It'll make you feel better."

They accept the tea Asgore gives them gratefully.

They spend some time talking with these monsters they'd call family.  It's nice.  Eventually they stand.  They feel like... they still have something left to do.

They travel back through the Underground.  The Amalgamates are with their families.  People are happy.  The lion monster wears Mettaton's dress, and a tree has grown where they dumped all the water.

They go back to the ruins, all the way back to the beginning.  They see Asriel there, waiting to turn back into a flower.  They take a moment to look up at the hole so far above.  Boy, they've come such a long way.

 _Haven't we all,_ Chara says drily.  They turn to Asriel.

"Don't worry about me," Asriel says, "Someone has to take care of these flowers."  So much like what Toriel said, at the beginning.  Frisk waits.

"Frisk, please leave me alone.  I can't come back.  I just can't, ok?"  They shake their head at him.

"I don't want to break their hearts all over again.  It's better if they never see me.  ...why are you still here?  Are you trying to keep me company?"  Frisk nods.  "Frisk... Hey.  Let me ask you a question.  Why did you come here?"  They flinch.  Asriel frowns, and continues.  "Everyone knows the legend, right...?  Travellers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear.  Why would you ever climb a mountain like that?  Was it foolishness?  Was it fate?  Or was it... because you...?"  Something in Frisk's face seems to give him the answer he's asking for.

"Well.  Only you know the answer, don't you...?  I know why Chara climbed the mountain.  It wasn't for a very happy reason.  I'll be honest with you.  Chara hated humanity.  Why they did, they never talked about it.  But they felt very strongly about that.  Frisk... you really  **are** different from Chara.  In fact, though you have similar, uh, fashion choices... I don't know why I ever acted like you were the same person.  Maybe... the truth is... Chara wasn't really the greatest person."

It stings, but Chara knows it's true.  Frisk closes their eyes and takes a deep breath.  They understand where Chara is coming from.  They also know that people can always change, and that Chara was always a good friend.

"While, Frisk... You're the type of friend I wish I always had."  That burns Frisk, stinging with a horrid power.  They're not worthy of Asriel's friendship.  They're not worthy of any of this, especially not at Chara's expense.

"So maybe I was kind of projecting a little bit.  Let's be honest.  I did some weird stuff as a flower.  There's one last thing I feel like I should tell you.  Frisk, when Chara and I combined our SOULs together... The control over our body was actually split between us.  They were the one that picked up their own empty body.  And then, when we got to the village... They were the one that wanted to... to... to use our full power.  I was the one that resisted."

Oh.  Oh my.  They can feel Chara's hatred, slightly, but there's more than that.  Understanding.  Forgiveness.  Change.  Regret.

"And then, because of me, we... Well, that's why I ended up a flower.  Frisk... This whole time, I've blamed myself for that decision.  That's why I adopted that horrible view of the world.  Kill or be killed.  But now... After meeting you... After remembering the good in Chara... I don't regret that decision anymore.  I did the right thing.  If I killed those humans... We would have had to wage war against all of humanity.  And in the end, everyone went free, right?  I still feel kind of sad knowing how long it took... so maybe it wasn't a perfect decision.  But you can't regret hard choices your whole life, right?  Well, not that I have much of a life left.  But that's besides the point."

" _Asriel,_ " Chara says, " _It's me, Chara.  I've taken this journey with Frisk the whole way.  You made the right decision.  I'm glad we didn't kill those humans.  I'm sorry I let you down._ "

Something about the words, the way they're said, makes Asriel believe Chara.  And he cries.  They hug.

Slowly Asriel turns back into a flower.  Flowey looks at the human a moment longer, and then disappears underground.

Frisk heads back towards the now-broken barrier.  They're ready to leave.  They greet their friends once more, and then they are the first to step out of the underground.

 "Oh my..." Toriel breathes, watching the sunrise on a new morning with everyone else.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" Asgore asks, smiling.

"Wow... it's e-even better than on TV," Alphys says, surprised, "WAY better!  better than I ever imagined!"

"Frisk, you LIVE with this!?" Undyne says, almost aghast, "The sunlight is so nice... and the air is so fresh!  I really feel alive!"

"HEY SANS...  WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?" Papyrus asks. He is referring to the sun, Frisk knows. Everyone else seemed to know, but not Papyrus. They wonder why.

"we call that 'the sun', my friend," Sans explains.

"THAT'S THE SUN!?  WOWIE!!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!" Papyrus cheers.

"I could stand here and watch this for hours..." Asgore gazes at the rising sun, the soft colors spreading over the land.  Frisk can see their city in the distance, and another mountain near Mount Ebott.

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?" Toriel agrees, "But we should really think about what comes next."

"Oh, right," Asgore sighs, "Everyone...  This is the beginning of a bright new future.  An era of peace between humans and monsters.  Frisk...  I have something to ask of you.  Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?"

They think about that, considering.  It will be a lot of hard work, but... it could possibly bring peace.  They want to help the monsters settle in, however they can.  And being the ambassador would let them do that.  But it would require a lot of talking.

 _I'll help you,_ Chara promises.  So, slowly, solemnly, they nod.

YEAH!  FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR!" Papyrus says happily, "AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT!"  Frisk giggles.  "I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!" With that, he runs off with his usual energy, heading towards the town.  Frisk worries about how the humans will react, their heart clenching painfully.

"welp," Sans says, "someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble.  see you guys."  Sans winks, and then walks leisurely in the opposite direction.  Frisk isn't sure if he's taking a shortcut or absolving himself of the responsibility of watching Papyrus; it's hard to tell.

"Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING?" Undyne complains, "Papyrus, wait!!!"  She follows her best friend.

Alphys rushes after her.  "Hey, Undyne!!  Wait up!!"

Asgore, Toriel, and Frisk remain.

"Whoops," Asgore says sheepishly.  Everything is quiet for a little while, and then he asks, "Uh, should I do something?"

Toriel just side-eyes him with a glare.  It says everything she needs to say.

"Well, gotta go!"  Asgore, too, rushes off.  Toriel turns after him.

"It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off," she observes.  She turns to Frisk.  "Frisk... You came from this world, right...?  So you must have a place to return to, do you not?"

Frisk hesitates.  Do they?  They were so unhappy there, and here, with their friends, they're so very happy.  Toriel is kind to them, and they care for Asgore, too.  Undyne and Papyrus make them laugh.  Alphys is kind, and learning how to be brave.  Mettaton likes to be in the spotlight, and Napstablook is talented at music.  They want to see the two of them perform with Shyren, like Mettaton said he would.

"What will you do now?" Toriel asks.  Frisk closes their eyes.  They don't deserve this, but they don't want to give it up.

:"I want to stay with you," they say.  Toriel is a better home than they ever had.

"What?" Toriel gasps, surprised.  "Frisk... You really are a funny child.  If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened."  They know that.  "It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind."  Frisk smiles at her.  Toriel giggles.  "Well... I suppose.  If you really do not have any other place to go...  I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need.  All right?"  Frisk nods eagerly.  They'd like that.  "Now, come along.  Everyone is waiting for us!"  Toriel takes Frisk's hand and leads them off of Mount Ebott, towards the human city.

They break the grip, shaking their head.  "I'll catch up," they say, "I just... I have one more thing I want to do first."

Toriel nods understandingly.  "Take your time," she says, heading towards where everyone else is.

Frisk gazes out at the rising sun.  It's such a beautiful day.  And they have done so much.  They have created a happy ending.  They... do not wish to ruin it.

 _You won't,_ Chara promises,  _Go with Toriel.  She's waiting for you._

She is, isn't she?  And they're ready to be happy.  For the first time... they think, just maybe, they're worthy of good things, and at the same time good things are coming.

They look at the opening where the barrier used to be, smile... and then head forward.

They're ready for the start of the rest of their life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my HS dance class is paying off.
> 
> ironic statements that are only ironic minus the fourth wall are my lifeblood.
> 
> are you ready for original words by yours truly??? cuz I AM.


	7. Faith, Trust, And Monster Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been a week since the barrier has been broken. Frisk's parents fight to retain custody of their child. Their nightmares get worse and they begin to remember things that don't make sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo words that are original! "now that i'm not writing from the game this should go much faster" boy am i NAIVE.
> 
> thanks to my beta, Aukan Stonehand (as he goes by online). he makes sure all the characters are, well, in-character.

Frisk wakes up to the quiet, in the same place they had been waking up for the past week: their room in Toriel's home.

Well, it isn't entirely true that they had been waking up there consistently. Sometimes they couldn't sleep alone. Chara's memories, and the memories of the other children, often haunted their dreams.

But today they wake up in their room to the smell of pancakes. They know that Toriel will come to wake them up in a few moments, so they savor the quiet of the Ruins and pretend to still be asleep.

Toriel cracks the door open. "Frisk, my child, it is morning," she says in her gentle voice, "I made pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes, your favorite."

Chara's favorite. Chara loves anything and everything chocolate, so Frisk tries and gets them chocolate food. Frisk themselves doesn't have many preferences, such as liking cinnamon and butterscotch the exact same amount. They love Toriel's cooking, though, and even more so they love her butterscotch-cinnamon pie. They even eat her snail pies without complaint, which makes Chara gag so they always ask for chocolate milk with snail pie so their headmate is happy.

In turn, Chara is the eloquent speaker. They are manipulative and brilliantly smart and they know how to read and think on their feet. Papyrus is more than happy to help Frisk learn how to read, but he struggles with words in small fonts and sometimes the both of them are at a loss. Alphys is very good about teaching them basic scientific things and math, and Toriel is going to get them a test soon to see everything they need to learn, according to humans. Sans helps with math, sometimes, and then he usually goes on a tangent about something way above their head because science is his true passion. Undyne has been teaching them to spar, and Asgore tells them about monster history. Toriel is their real teacher, though; she has lesson plans and fills in all the blanks. She is learning human history with them, from a kind human named Katherine Bell.

They sit at the table and Toriel gives them the pancakes, along with an orange. The orange, they know, is human food. They have to use the bathroom because of it, but nobody is really sure of the long-term effects a monster-food-only diet would have on a human. They don't mind, because Toriel is very careful to get them very healthy and delicious human food.

Frisk lets Chara eat the chocolate pancakes by themselves. It is a good time to think and relax. They only let Chara have full control when they are eating something Chara likes and when they need help speaking to people, but they have to pay attention when they're talking to people.

 _You know how I feel, now,_ Chara says good-naturedly. Chara is aggressive where Frisk is passive, and both of them know Chara could forcefully take control at any time. But they don't, because they respect and care for Frisk and they claim they already lived. Dying at twelve years old is not a full life, but they don't say anything because, perhaps more than anyone else, they understand why.

"I'm going to visit Flowey," Frisk declares when they are done eating. Toriel frowns, but doesn't protest. They visit Flowey every day, for at least an hour or two.

Toriel worries about them, but really, Flowey isn't so bad. Grumpy, but he doesn't mind talking to Chara. Frisk suspects he still remembers how to love, just not as much as before, and all the love that remains is directed to Chara.

They wait as Chara talks to Asriel, practicing how to not be in control of their body. It is an eerie feeling, and sometimes Frisk panics and Chara has to let them have control of at least something or else they will freak out entirely. They feel guilty about that, but Chara is very patient with them. They claim to have learned patience from Frisk, but the human isn't so sure because they really aren't all that patient.

After a couple of hours pass, Chara nudges Frisk to take back control. "Bye, Flowey," Frisk says, "I think Toriel is making her pie tonight. Would you like me to bring you some?"

"I don't want any stupid pie," Flowey says, sounding annoyed. They'll bring him pie anyway. They know he appreciates it, even if he never thanks them and pretends to gag.

At home, they find a surprise waiting for them. It isn't a good surprise, though. It is a woman from child protective services. Toriel seems worried but she has brought the woman some tea.  The woman smiles warmly at Frisk.

"Hello, Frisk," she says, "Welcome back. My name is Lacelia Davyn, and I'm from child protective services. I'm going to be your social worker."

Frisk carefully sat in their seat across from Lacelia, watching her warily. They don't want to go back.

"Is your real name Fran Gray, Frisk? When you first disappeared a week and a half ago, your parents issued an amber alert, and a missing persons case was started. You match the picture perfectly, and Miss, ah, Toriel, here said you are seven years old, like Fran is."

"I'm Fran Gray," Frisk says, staring at their hands.

"Your parents want to see you again, Frisk. They miss their lit-"

Frisk interrupts before the social worker can share their gender. "Child. They miss their child."

They don't want to see their parents.

"They miss their child," Lacelia says, nodding. She finds the child strange, but she won't argue with them. No matter what science says. "So, what do you say? Let's get you home."

Frisk shakes their head. "I  _am_ home," they say in the firmest voice they can manage. Chara adds, using their voice and mouth, " _I was abused._ " Frisk is horrified and upset. They weren't, not really!

 _Frisk, they_ hit  _you and misgendered you and called you so many horrible things._ Frisk forgot that Chara can share some of their memories, too, and while it is fair right now they are horrified and embarrassed and ashamed.

Toriel looks horrified, a hand over her mouth as she stares at them in shock. She had no idea. She merely thought Frisk's family had died, not that they were alive and had hurt the child.

"I see," Ladelia says slowly, pursing her lips together. "I will have to make a case for it. I'll see if I can let you stay with this... woman, for now, while we're getting things figured out."

Ladelia is well-versed in the excuses of abusers and the abused, the justifications both make for the abuse.  She is shocked that Frisk even admitted to it at all. So she knows better than to ask Frisk; the human child will have to share and explain later, eventually, but for now she does not want to hear justifications.  She gathers her papers and stands.

"I'll get back to you with news tomorrow, whether you will have to stay with your parents, Miss Toriel, or the state. Then we can start working on a trial. I have to ask: Miss Toriel, you would be taking custody of Frisk?"

"Yes, of course!" the goat-monster says, her voice and expression clear indicators of just how much she loves the human child.

Ladelia nods. "Single parents are rarely awarded custody," she warned, "This is going to be long and hard and I will do everything in my power to help you."

With that, she leaves. Frisk feels drained, despair digging sharp claws into their ribs.

 _You're not alone, Frisk,_ Chara says reassuringly. That may be part of the problem, them not being alone. They don't even know why their parents want to see them; they made it abundantly clear how much they despised their child.

"Perhaps we should postpone today's lessons until tomorrow," Toriel suggests gently, "Perhaps you could 'hang out' with Papyrus and Sans. They always seem to cheer you up."

They like Papyrus, but he's loud. They like Sans, but he's lazy. These are both aspects they could usually deal with, but the skeleton brothers are also very observant. They don't want to have to explain what was going on, and they express as much to Toriel.

"I see. Hmm, perhaps I can text them and let them know you do not, currently, want to discuss what is bothering you?" Toriel offers. Frisk nods; they'd like that.

Toriel texts the two brothers, and soon gets a response. "Oh, dear. It seems Papyrus and Sans are busy on the surface with preparations for the Freedom Party, but Papyrus has invited you to join them." Frisk shakes their head. The Freedom Party is very cool - it is a relations thing technically hosted by Frisk, the mayor, and Asgore to help welcome the monsters and to help the humans adjust to the monsters being around. "I thought you would not be interested. I will let them know. Who would you like to spend your time with instead?"

Frisk thinks about that. Undyne and Alphys are nice, but the two of them would want to watch anime and Undyne would want to spar. Monster Kid is nice but they are overwhelming and very talkative sometimes. Mettaton is very dramatic, and he's often busy being in the spotlight.

That leaves either Napstablook or Asgore. With Napstablook they would bring lunch and then just sit and listen to music with the ghost until they both sat down and felt like garbage. Frisk liked to spend time with them very, very much.

They had managed to cajole Napstablook to friend them on the Undernet, and they message the ghost to see if they're available. No, he's with Mettaton. Well, Asgore is fine, but there's a reason why they consider him a last option.

Carefully, Frisk posits the idea of spending time with Asgore. Toriel frowns severely, unhappy about any time Frisk does spend with Asgore, but gives her reluctant consent.  She doesn't trust Asgore still and refuses to forgive him.  Frisk finds such an attitude tedious (Chara's word, not theirs).

Frisk texts the Monster King to let him know their plans, asking if he is available. He is; he has no plans beyond people showing up to ask him for advice at their leisure.

To New Home, then, where Frisk will be given tea and they'd likely garden with the Monster King. Dad, they often consider him.

When Frisk arrives, he has a cup of tea waiting for them already. They sit down in a chair and sip on the tea, smiling at him in lieu of any spoken expression of thanks. They've never much liked talking.

"Tori mentioned something is bothering you," Asgore says, sitting down across from the small human child. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want. Just know I am here in case you want to talk."

They nod in acknowledgment. They are surprised that Toriel would be willing to give her ex-husband even that much information, but then she also knows how close they are with him. They imagine she feels about it much the way she feels about their daily visits with Flowey: safe enough to be tolerated as long as she is nearby and they have their phone; definitely distasteful, but not entirely out of the question.

"I want Mama to tell you," they decide. They don't always call Toriel mom, but the word flows naturally from their tongue. Because she is a mom, their mom, and more of a mother than anyone else Frisk has ever known.

Asgore nods, solemnly. "I will help you in whatever way I can," he says. He notices Frisk's cup is empty. "Oh! Would you like more tea, Frisk?" They shake their head and stand. Asgore stands as well. "Alright. What would you like to do?"

They mime gardening with their hands, and Asgore smiles. Chara loves gardening. They love working with their hands, so gardening, knitting, painting - all of those things made them happy. And Frisk has memories of Chara working with their dad. Not on the golden flowers, but on buttercups and tulips and all sorts of other flowers. It was how the two of them grew close. Yes, Chara was closer to Toriel, but they loved their father very very much.

Frisk prefers to take an observer role. They watch Chara weed and water and plant and trim, happy whenever they glance over at Asgore to let Frisk see what he's doing, too. Chara and Asgore work hard, only Chara knowing that he's working with his child from so long ago. Well, and Frisk, too, but they don't mind when Chara forgets to mention them. This is Chara's time with Asgore, not theirs.

They break for lunch. Chara thinks that Frisk should say what they want, knowing Frisk has a fondness for honey and peanut butter sandwiches. So Frisk says they want a peanut butter and honey sandwich and they help Asgore prepare it. He uses real peanut butter for their sandwich, not monster peanut butter, and Frisk spreads on a lot of honey. They ask for chocolate milk with it, and then get out the ingredients for Asgore to make another cup of tea.

Chara sometimes feels like Frisk is competing with them for who is the nicer friend, but they know it is in reality just because Frisk feels guilty every time anyone does something for them.

Lunch is nice, but Frisk is tired. They say goodbye to Asgore and head home. Their phone beeps; an undernet message. It looks like Napstablook is back at home, would Frisk still like to hang out? If it isn't too much to ask, of course.

Frisk says they are on their way, and they text Toriel to let her know.

They spend the afternoon with Napstablook, listening to their new music. They hum with some of it - Shyren's beautiful song has been stretched and modified to create several different melodies. Mettaton and Shyren are insanely popular, Mettaton for his showy ways and star power and Shyren for her gorgeous voice. Napstablook has a pretty big following too, with their music.

Toriel calls them. "My child," she says, "It is time to come home. I have dinner and a butterscotch-cinnamon pie waiting."

They bid farewell to Napstablook and head home. They eat dinner - some canned green beans, for human food - and then take some butterscotch-cinnamon pie with them. A slice for Flowey, and a slice for themselves.

Flowey complains, he's a flower and doesn't need food, but he eats the pie anyway. Frisk eats theirs in relative quiet, just listening to Flowey complain.

They bid farewell, go home, and then curl up in bed.

Sleep does not come easily to them.  No, instead they are haunted by dreams.  Nightmares are familiar, have been even before falling into the Underground, and the memories of other people have become a companion since then.  This, though, this is different.

 _Frisk - but not Frisk - strides forward, staring at Sans - but not Sans - in front of them.  He is panting, his eye glowing with malice and_ determination _, every bit of him ready.  He doesn't look ready, he looks half-asleep, but the Chara-not-Chara with Frisk knows better.  Frisk-not-Frisk dodges and Chara-not-Chara attacks, tagteaming the skeleton. This time, though... this time they win._

_They slash the knife mid-monologue.  Chara - the real Chara - wakes Frisk up before it hits._

Frisk is left panting and afraid, shaking furiously.  Flashing lights.  Dust, everywhere.  They can still smell and taste the dust, and it chokes them.  They're going to suffocate on the dust of their friends, suffocate on the dust of strangers, suffocate on the dust that is the remnants of the entire Underground.

 _It's just a bad dream, Frisk,_ Chara says sharply, cutting into their consciousness,  _Everyone is alive.  Everyone is okay.  We never did that.  It's - it's something you made up, right, we made it up because of the memories of the other kids and my memories and yours and stress, okay?  It's just a_ dream _and it doesn't mean anything._

Chara sounds as desperate to convince themselves as they do to convince Frisk.  It was a terrible dream, an awful dream.  They don't want to go back to sleep.  They could wake up Toriel, but no, that's not fair.  They can do this on their own.  Soothe their self.  They've done it before, for a long time, and now they have Chara.  They aren't entirely alone.  They just... they just wish that didn't feel like part of the problem.  It wasn't, it couldn't be.  But sometimes... sometimes they wish they didn't have Chara.

Mostly they wish they died when they fell, instead of surviving.  Chara hates that line of thought the most.  They argue all the reasons why Frisk should have lived, but if Frisk had died they'd get a seventh human SOUL and be free anyway.  Or, Chara argues that Flowey would have gotten it.  Well, maybe they would stay dead after they made it out of the ruins, right when they fought Undyne.  Undyne would have made good use of their SOUL, and Flowey wouldn't have gotten a hold of it.  Chara's angry, now, that Frisk  _still_ thinks like this when everything is okay.  Why can't they learn that they deserve a happy ending too?  They even admitted it, when the barrier finally broke.  Briefly.  But now they've forced themselves back into misery.

Frisk lays down and rolls onto their side, ignoring Chara now.  That pisses them off, but they can't do anything about Frisk's stubbornness, the way Frisk is trying to ignore them.  So they go quiet, and eventually Frisk falls back asleep.

Toriel has to wake them in the morning, and wake them in an unusual way.  Frisk is normally a light sleeper, but today Toriel shakes their shoulder and pulls down the blankets and whispers soft words into their ear until Frisk finally wakes up.  They look at her, and they can tell she's slightly nervous,  Relief spreads on her face when she notices they are awake.

"Oh good, you're up, my child.  I was worried; you usually don't sleep so deeply."  It's true, they rarely did.  "I suppose it must be the stress.  Come now, breakfast is waiting, my child."

Frisk takes Toriel's hand as they walk to the main room, sniffing the air.  Eggs and bacon and of course some piece of fruit.  Monsters are vegetarian, shockingly enough; all of their meat is made of magic, and even Toriel's snail pies don't use the snails themselves in it.  So even though the monsters (that feed them) make sure Frisk gets human food, they never eat human meat, only monster meat.

 _That makes it sound like you'd be a cannibal, and that monsters are,_ Chara points out.  Well!  It's still obvious what they meant.

Frisk eats quickly.  Toriel blinks in surprise when the human child finishes.  "Are you off to see Flowey?" she asks.  They shake their head.  They want to do as much of their schooling as possible before the social worker arrives today.  One, it will look good, that they're getting an education.  Two, they're not sure if they can focus after she leaves.  Toriel understands, and they begin working on school work.

 Frisk sets their self to work, intensely focused on the tasks Toriel has them do, and what she teaches.  Two hours in, and there's noise that indicates someone is coming up from the basement.  They keep working while Toriel heads downstairs to greet the guests.

Lacelia Davyn is accompanied by two human police officers.  One is barely concealing his nervousness among the monsters, and the other is impassive and impossible to read.  Dogamy and Dogeressa are also there, and Toriel assumes it is to match the human police officers.  It is also a wise thing, to bring dogs; Frisk has a very big fondness for the dogs.  The social worker looks apologetically at Toriel.  "This is not going to be easy," she says, "Abuse cases never are."

No, Toriel could imagine they weren't.  "Would you all like some tea?" she offers, "Frisk is just upstairs, doing schoolwork.  I've been homeschooling them, you see, as they're... nervous, to be in a public setting.  I... I'm afraid I don't have chairs enough for everyone to sit, but -"

"It's fine," Lacelia says reassuringly, "You didn't expect so many guests."  They all follow Toriel upstairs.

Frisk looks up at everyone, staring with nervous apprehension at the police officers.  The dogs, however - that cheers them up.  They get up to reach out and pet the dogs, and Dogamy and Dogeressa are contented by that.

"How are you doing?" Dogamy asks.

"(We're here to help make you feel better)," Dogeressa offers.

Well, it works, and soon they are smiling and sitting on the floor with the two dogs, petting them.  Chara makes a disgusted noise, but Frisk ignores them, especially since they made the noise mostly to be dramatic.

Lacelia is watching Frisk with a plastered-on smile, and they don't like what that can mean.  It can mean a lot of things, and a fake smile is always bad news.  A memory surfaces of a fake smile followed by an angry hand, but that's not even the worst memory.  The worst things never left physical marks.

"Your parents are denying ever causing any harm," Ladelia says, "They claim you are making it up, because you are a -"  She breaks off, looking at some of the papers she has.  "An unstable, insane child, who they don't want to commit due to the issues that can cause."  Her breath hitches, and it's easy enough to see she is repeating what she heard and not saying what she feels.  "They are - fighting for custody.  There will be court visits.  And this is - this case is unprecedented.  Nobody is familiar with monsters yet, and, Frisk - you want to say with Miss, um, Toriel, yes?"

They nod.  "Mom," they say, gesturing at her, and it is them saying it and not Chara.

Lacelia's voice gets very quiet, very soft, and very sad.  "I will admit my biases: I do not trust the monsters."  She looks apologetically at Toriel, who barely reacts, and then at Dogamy and Dogeressa.  They growl.  "But I would rather you stay here, in a home that is clearly with someone who loves you, than in a home with abuse.  I'll be handling your case, but there will be a lawyer involved.  Police.  And you will have to relive every bit of your abuse."  She closes her eyes.  "This is not my first abuse case.  But I promise you, I'll do everything I can for this to turn out positively."

Her expression hardens and she flips through some papers.  "Two thirds of child abuse cases end up closed without abuse being proven.  Some of them are legitimate, some of them have people playing the system.  Today we're going to go over some facts and things we need to do.  First off, Frisk, I need you to look at me."  Frisk looks.  "You focusing on what I'm saying?  This will be hard.  Since you were the one to accuse your parents of abuse, the court will likely lean in your favor.  But that does not mean this will be a happy ending.  You need to tell  _everything_ , no matter how hard."  Her voice goes soft again.  "And I know it will be hard.  But it is so, so important, so you can live with Toriel and not your abusive parents."  Frisk nods, slowly and solemnly, the weight of Lacelia's words heavy.

"Good."  Her voice resumes its normal tone.  "We want a monster-friendly lawyer and a monster-friendly judge.  The lawyer will be easy.  It is possible for us to say there's bias in the case of a judge against monsters, so we'll do everything we can do make sure everyone is sympathetic to your cause."

Lacelia stays for hours.  Frisk falls asleep at some point, curled in Toriel's lap.  They next awake to Lacelia's sad face.

"Frisk, sweetheart," she says softly, "You have to come with me.  You can't stay with Toriel."

They look, panicky, at the goat monster.  Toriel nods, her smile also sad.  "It is okay, my child," she says soothingly, "We will be reunited.  I promise."

They hesitate, but Lacelia goes to their room and helps them pack everything.  She asks them questions about their friends, and Frisk is happy to talk about how much they love Papyrus and Sans and Mettaton and Alphys and Undyne and Napstablook and, and  _everyone_.  Chara is stunned by the amount they talk (they only talk this much about _other people_ ), and Lacelia smiles and says she wouldn't mind meeting them sometime.  That makes it a little easier to leave, even though they start to cry when they hug Toriel.   _Crybaby,_ Chara teases, but it's half-hearted.

Lacelia is very patient with them, and she explains to them that they'll be staying with her.  It's a smallish apartment, but she has a futon that Frisk can use as a bed and it's HUGE.  She doesn't ask for Frisk to unpack, either, and emphasizes it's temporary.

Every day with Lacelia Frisk is woken up and taken to a public human school.  They hate it.  After school, Lacelia works with them on homework and whatever they need help with, then takes them to the Underground where Toriel and their lawyer - a nice man with kind eyes named Brandon Galgurre - talk about things.  Frisk is often left crying, and they often have nightmares.

They don't get to visit Flowey again until the weekend, where they tell him everything that's been going on.  He complains and he yells and he declares that all humans are stupid and, well, Frisk doesn't feel much like arguing.  And then he calls Frisk silly and stupid and asks to talk to Chara.

It's okay though, because they come back with a handful of golden flowers and they present them to Lacelia, who thanks Frisk profusely and seems to recognize the meaning of their gift, which is nice.  Lacelia is very good at never talking down to Frisk even though they're a kid.

On Monday they have their first court visit, which is easy and simple.  Lacelia calls it practice, even though it's about whether or not they can stay with Toriel.  The vote is eventually they can stay with Toriel as long as Lacelia continues to visit and check in on them.  Mr. Galgurre high-fives Frisk and says they were very brave, and Lacelia brings Frisk's stuff over for them to take home.

They sleep well, finally, without any nightmares interrupting them.  Tuesday, Toriel teaches them their lessons for only a half-day, then declares that Frisk has the rest of the day off and they should spend time with their friends, oh and did you know that Papyrus came by asking about Frisk worriedly? so they should definitely visit the skeleton brothers.

So they do.

Predictably, Papyrus is the one who answers the door.  He smiles.  "FRISK!" he exclaims, "I HAVE MISSED YOU!  I ASKED LADY ASGORE WHERE YOU WERE, AND SHE SAID YOU WERE ON THE SURFACE!!!  WOWIE!!!  WERE YOU HELPING WITH THE FREEDOM PARTY?"  Frisk shakes their head. Hesitatingly, stumbling over their words, they explain what's going on. Papyrus frowns, but then resumes smiling. "WELL, HAVE NO FEAR, HUMAN!!  I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BELIEVE EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY!!  I WILL COME WITH YOU IF YOU WANT ME TO!" Frisk smiles back at him and hugs him, and he spins them around which makes them giggle.

"hey, paps," comes Sans's lazy voice, "is the human here?"  Frisk sees him and waves, and he smiles his lazy grin at him.

They have a good day with the skeleton brothers, and are happy when they finally head home.  Their dreams are fine, and they sleep easily.

 Morning brings school work, followed by meeting with Lacelia and Mr. Galgurre.  Today, Lacelia explains as two police officers stand nearby, they'll have to make a list of all the things Frisk's parents have done to them, or at least start it.  It's okay if Frisk can't write very much, and it's okay if they cry.

They admit they're not very good at writing, and Lacelia asks if they'd rather have her transcribe it.  They say that's okay, but they only want Lacelia and Toriel in the room since they'll be audibly sharing.  Lacelia explains that Frisk will, eventually, have to share with many people, but she understands and the three of them go to the kitchen.

Chara helps, but Frisk talks slowly, carefully.  They do cry, and they have to stop.  Lacelia is very patient, and she never makes Frisk hurry.  They get out four or five detailed examples before they have to stop, and Lacelia packs up.  She says she'll come back next week, and that instead she and Mr. Galgurre will work on other things for the case.  "You've been very brave," she tells them, but they just feel tired.

Sleeping is hard.  Nightmares make them toss and turn; the abuse from their parents intermingles with the abuse from the parents of other kids, and when they wake up they feel raw and they hurt everywhere.

Toriel has them do a short session of schoolwork, but she can tell they're tired and that something is wrong so she soon makes tea and soup and tucks them back into bed.  They spend the whole day in bed, sometimes dozing off only to be woken up by horrific images from their past and the past of the kids that fell before them.

They feel much better the next day, and they work really hard to make up for the lack of a lesson yesterday.  After they work on school stuff, Toriel takes them to the surface, where the monsters have commandeered a large park where they are working on the Freedom Party.  It is mostly a relations project, but also a chance to get everyone outside and the on the surface in a controlled, positive environment.  There's only a week left before the Freedom Party and Frisk isn't sure whether they're excited or nervous.  Both, definitely both.

A few members of human paparazzi are there, Mettaton easily soaking up the limelight.  And then a journalist spots Toriel and Frisk and approaches.

"Is it true that you're fighting to gain custody of the Monster Ambassador?" she asks, "How's it feel to be a kidnapper?"

" _She's not a kidnapper,_ " Chara says through Frisk's voice and mouth.  They want to say more, to insult this journalist, but wisely silence themselves.

"Perhaps we should save this discussion for somewhere away from the  _eight-year-old_.  Ambassador or not, they are but a child and the last thing I want is to cause them undue stress by publicizing an event that should be mostly private," Toriel says, her voice calm but leaving no room for argument.  She bustles them away, and Papyrus bounds up to the journalist.

"DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MONSTER AMBASSADOR?  PERHAPS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MONSTER MASCOT AND THE AMBASSADOR'S _BEST_ FRIEND, CAN HELP? " Papyrus offers.  It prevents the journalist from following, and Frisk smiles gratefully at Papyrus.

 Instead of being fun, like it was supposed to be, most of the day is spent fielding questions from journalists.  At one point Frisk bursts into tears at a question, and Chara salvages the situation by forcing them to go and cling to Toriel.  They're both stressed and exhausted, and Chara is annoyed.

Frisk dreams of a giant chessboard, where everyone is trying to get a hold of them and use them, while the people who actually care about them continue to be pushed further and further away.

The morning is a relief.

 When the day of the Freedom Party at last arrives, Frisk heads to the surface with Toriel.  Their stomach is knotted terribly, and it's all they can do to keep from running away.  Chara reminds them that they don't have to say anything, Chara'll say the prepared speech, and it's very short and they won't have to be the center of attention very long.  It does help comfort them, which is a relief to their headmate.

 People are everywhere.  They see their friends, and excitedly approach.  They do keep their distance from Mettaton; he's trying to get all the attention of journalists and cameras on him.  They wave, though, and he waves back.

"Ohh, darling!" he cries, "You should come show that  _beautiful_ face off with me!"  They shake their head furiously and flee before any more attention can be brought to them.  He huffs, as if he's offended, but it's an act.  ...right?

 _Of course it is,_ Chara says, sounding annoyed.  They don't know whether it's with them or Mettaton, or because of something else entirely, and Chara won't tell them.

This time they do have fun.  Most people there to work are there to get information about the Freedom Party and the monsters rather than the monster ambassador or anyone in particular.  They are asked a couple of questions, but Frisk doesn't even need Chara's help to answer them.  Well - they do need help answering one question, and Chara snaps a very firm " _no comment_ " that leaves no room for argument.

Around noon they go to the makeshift stage, where they're going to give their speech.  Picnic blankets with food on them are spread out everywhere, and Frisk is delighted to see that some humans are intermingling with the monsters.  Mostly the more humanoid monsters, of course, but they can see a couple of more monster-friendly humans who don't seem to mind any of the monsters.  It gives them the courage to go to the stage and sit on one of the chairs positioned there.  Toriel is next to them, and she squeezes their hand comfortingly.

Asgore gives a small speech of his own, and then invites Frisk up with a warm smile.  They go up, focusing on Asgore.  "You'll do great," he tells them reassuringly, away from the microphone.  They take a deep breath.  Chara takes over.

" _It seems like a long time ago since I fell into the Underground, even though I know it was only a month ago,_ " they say, gazing out at the crowd.  Frisk would rather look down at the paper, but Chara says it's important to look at everyone.  Some unscrupulous -  _sorry_ , mean - humans would assume it was because they were being forced to read and speak by the monsters and they weren't being honest.  Yes, Chara knows it's shyness, but that doesn't change the facts.

" _There, I embarked on a life-changing journey._ "  Embarked was Chara's word.  They liked that word a lot.  " _I met so many different monsters... so many different_ people _.  I have come to consider them all my friends, and am grateful for the opportunity that you can find new friendships, too._ "  They paused for effect, and Frisk is the one who smiles.

" _This party is a celebration of the freedom of the monsters, but also of the hopes for a new age of peace and prosp- pros - prosperity._ "  Chara doesn't need to stumble over the word, but they know Frisk would, so they pretend.  They say it makes it seem more authentic - ugh, Frisk, more _real_ , it means  _real_.  " _I hope everyone here can learn just how wonderful my friends are, too._ "

They step away, and Chara gives control back to Frisk, who stumbles.  They rush to Toriel's arms, who embraces them.  "I am so proud of you, my child," she says softly.  They smile at her.

Clearly Mettaton's irritation earlier was an act, because he disentangles himself from the cameras for long enough to give Frisk a hug and compliment them on their well-said speech.  "Ohh, but the cameras need me, darling~" he says, and returns to showing off to the paparazzi.  Frisk giggles at his antics.

Lacelia is there too, and she's talking to monsters.  She seems nervous, but she's making an effort.  The lawyer, Mr. Galgurre, isn't nervous at all, though he does only spend time around the more humanoid monsters.

 The rest of the day is fun, and Frisk falls asleep as soon as they get home, exhausted.

_Sans reaches out, and they flinch away.  " kiddo," he says sadly, "i didn't mean it."_

_"You did though," they say, "And you're not wrong.  Everything_ would  _be better if I was gone.  So I'm gonna - go."_

 _He looks panicked, but Frisk turns around and rushes away.  No matter how much he chases them, he can't make it in time.  He sees them fall.  He sees them_  die.

It's not bad enough to wake them up, and soon another dream replaces it.

_"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Frisk screams, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  They crouch down and shake, moving their head wildly back and forth as they pull on their hair, ripping it.  Chara just laughs.  Tears streaming down their eyes, Chara forces them forward.  They hit the monster, and the next one.  LOVE fills their heart._

_After enough time, they don't feel anything anymore._

Frisk wakes up crying.  It was horrible.  Chara is silent.  They call out for their friend.   _I'm here, Frisk,_ they say soothingly,  _I'm here, and nobody's dead.  Neither of us want anyone to be dead._  They take deep breaths.

"My child?" Toriel's soft voice comes from the hallway.  She cracks open the door and looks at them.  "My child, are you okay?"

"Bad dream," Frisk croaks, and Toriel comes and sits with them until they fall back asleep.  They don't dream the rest of the night.

Time passes.  They work hard with Lacelia and Mr. Galgurre, once a week amidst their school work.  Sometimes their dreams do make sense, nightmares that are memories instead of - whatever those other dreams are.  Those happen on the days when Frisk has to recall all the things their parents did to them.  But mostly their nightmares are of strange memories that aren't really theirs.

 _"Do you know how many times you killed me?" Frisk asks Undyne, "Before I ever fought back?  Because I can't remember.  Hundreds of times.  So forgive me for killing you_ once _."_

 _"I'm more pissed about the fact you lied to me, punk!" Undyne snaps, "You think I wouldn't forgive you?  I mean -_ yeah _, I'm pissed about the whole thing overall, it's not easy to hear you've been killed by a friend, apparently killed that friend in turn, but I fucking forgive you._ _"_

_"Undyne!  Language," Toriel reminds her._

Every time the dreams aren't as terrible, they don't wake up.  Even if they're strange.  Frisk never killed Undyne.

_The child is crying.  "Chara?" Frisk asks hesitantly, reaching out a hand._

_"Why?" they ask, turning to Frisk, "Why bring me back?  He - he could have lived -"  They sob._

_"I know," Frisk says, "But he loved you.  More than anything."_

But the dreams are often of killing.  A lot of killing.  They wake up a lot, and sometimes they need Toriel to get back to sleep.

 _Betrayal kills are always the most satisfying.  They listen to Papyrus go on and on.  God, what an idiot.  And then, when he wants to spare them - then and only then do they attack.  It takes one hit.  They don't even let him finish monologuing before they move on.  Oh, but they better take his scarf.  Wouldn't want his stupid_ brother _to get any ideas._

The worst ones of all are ones with Sans, because as much as they kill him, he kills them.  And every time they yell and are angry.

_Sans smirks.  " hmm. that expression... that's the expression of someone who's died seven times in a row. hey, that's good. seven's supposed to be a lucky number. who knows, maybe you'll hit the jackpot..." He laughs._

_His permanent smile doesn't match his solemn, angry eyes; Frisk rages in silence. " to be honest, though... i hope you don't." He attacks._

Eventually it's the day of the trial, when it'll be decided whether Frisk stays with Toriel or goes back to their parents.  They cling to her hand desperately, and Chara keeps muttering about how they'll kill them.  Chara's anger is scarier than their parents, they think, but maybe that's because of distance and time spent away.

Mostly it's a blur.  Chara helps them do what they need to, in talking about the things their parents have done.  But the result is positive; Frisk can stay with Toriel.  They're relieved, and Chara's anger subsides.   _At least the court system is smart these days,_ Chara decides.

They go for ice cream to celebrate, human ice cream, and Frisk gets a big scoop of vanilla with cookie bits and sprinkles on top.  They get hot fudge on top too, for Chara, and both of them enjoy it.

For the first time since this whole business started, they have good dreams.  It's a nice change, and they wake up refreshed - and to another surprise.

"The Underground has steadily become emptier and emptier," Toriel says over breakfast, "And so, during our preparations for yesterday's event, I would spend some time looking.  I found a little apartment for us, my child, with a friendly landlord and an affordable rent.  So we will be moving soon, to that apartment, that we may be on the surface with the others."

It’s exciting, but they wonder about Flowey.  They get a hold of a flower pot and fill it with nice soil, and then go to visit him.  They offer a spot to stay, promising they'll water him and he can have a slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie whenever Toriel made it.  But they wouldn't make him.

They leave the pot there and go about their business, checking in on Flowey the next day.  The pot is empty, and the flower is nowhere to be seen.  They're disappointed, but not surprised.  " _Bye, Azzy,_ " Chara says to the air, " _Least this isn't forever._ "

With that, they're ready, and they move in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Fran" is short for both Francis and Fransesca. I will never tell which it is, mwahaha.
> 
> This fanfiction's canon has not disclosed Frisk's birth/biological sex, and I hope to avoid that 100%. I have my own headcanon about such things but I wish to avoid anyone referring to Frisk as something other than "they".


	8. DISCONTINUED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DISCONTINUED
> 
> something something gaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO. This fic is discontinued. HOWEVER. I am starting another one. A different one. It will keep the same characterization of Frisk and Chara (kind of), and the same concept of Frisk picking up memories that aren't theirs. It will, however, be different; partially based on updates that have happened to Undertale and the fact I was rereading this and went "hm. I can do better."
> 
> Everything down below is stuff I had written before I decided to start anew. It's not even proofread so read at your own risk.
> 
> I will probably add a new chapter when the new fic is out, which I'm debating about doing only after I've written the first five or six chapters or something now. It's more organized, too, and I'm working on actually drawing up a timeline for it. Yaaay.

Toriel and Frisk have just moved into the apartment officially; all the boxes unpacked, all the furniture arranged, everything set up as it needed to be.  Frisk is in their room, sitting on the floor and messing with a Rubik's Cube.

Papyrus bought it a few days ago, and he had been struggling with it.  They offered to help, and now they are, well, struggling with it too.  It's frustrating but fun.  They'll probably give it back to Papyrus soon.

Toriel enters their room.  "Frisk, my child," she says softly.  They look up at her and smile.  "You know... during the trial, and our meetings with Lacelia and Mr. Galgurre... Your birthday was mentioned.  It's coming up soon.  What would you like to do for it?"

Their face falls.  Their birthday was the day they ruined their parents' lives, at least according to them.  It's never a good thing.  "Nothing," they mumble, "Don't wanna do anything."

Toriel frowns at them worriedly.  "Are you sure, my child?" she asks softly, "We could have a cake and a small party with your closest friends."

They nod.  "'M sure," they tell her firmly.  Chara doesn't like this.  They didn't ruin their parents' lives.  They were a good thing.  But of course this doesn't convince Frisk; it never does, not really.  Chara can tell them all they want how good and valuable they are but still Frisk is determined to say no, they are not, they are not valuable.  Even saving the Underground, freeing all the monsters, hasn't changed their mind.  It angers Chara, that even now their parents still have such an influence over them. Chara wonders if they can maybe set up the workings of a surprise party. Maybe if Frisk knew the good things that were  _supposed_ to happen on birthdays... It helped them with the Dreemurrs, anyway.

Frisk has never had a proper birthday, and Chara was like that once. But the monsters were always willing to give a proper party. With presents and cake and everything good. Chara tries to tell them about this but Frisk insists they don't deserve good things. Like they always do.

 _You're the savior of the Underground,_ Chara insists. Frisk corrects them;  _Asriel_ is. And, well, they aren't wrong. But Asriel wouldn't have been able to do what they did,  _Flowey_ wouldn't have gotten that compassion, if not for Frisk.

They both don't realize that Toriel has asked them a question until she repeats, "Frisk, my child? Would you like to do something with me instead of a party on your birthday?"

They hesitate. "Only if you want to," they say uncertainly, "It's just a day."

Toriel falls deep in thought, uncertain. Memories fill her, and Chara can imagine what she's thinking of.

"Would you like to pick a different day to celebrate?" she asks in a gentle voice, "Long ago, a child much like you fell Underground... we never knew their birthday, they never said, so we celebrated the day they fell instead."

Chara isn't sure if Frisk notices the tears in Toriel's eyes, but they do. They reach out and hug her. "No," Frisk said, "Falling Underground was a good thing, but I don't wanna celebrate." They don't deserve it, but telling Toriel that would lead to her trying to convince them and it's tiring enough with Chara insisting they're good.  _Because you are!_ Chara snaps, irritated. But they both know Frisk is hard to convince.

That night, they have a weird dream. They are used to memories and not-memories. This isn't that. There is an endless expanse of blackness. It feels empty and infinite, but also crushing and claustrophobic.

_Gray figures appear and disappear without clarity, fuzzy distant shapes that do not speak. Two large white hands appear from the dark, skeletal, with large holes in the middle which feel as though they contain the universe. The hands form strange shapes. Every shape feels familiar to Chara, but also unnerving. It is a relief to wake up._

They wake up, and later that day go shopping with Toriel. In the market they see a strange gray figure, standing there. Like one from their dream. But when they look again, it's gone. They stare at the now-empty space for long enough that Toriel has to step in front of them, worried.

 _What was that? **Who** was that?_ Chara demands. Frisk has no idea.

"Frisk, my child, are you alright?" Toriel asks worriedly. They nod and take her hand, walking away while they keep glancing back.

That night Chara doesn't let them dream. Sleep, yes; dream, no. Instead, as Frisk slumbers, they use the child's body. Their whole body is tensed, uncomfortable. Frisk sleeps, unaware of Chara's actions.

They find a pen and paper. "Dear Mom," they write, then scribble it out. "Throw Frisk a surprise party -C" they write instead. Then they scribble that out too. "Surprise party." There, that will be good. They fold the paper, creep into Toriel's room.

"Chara?" Toriel mumbles. They freeze. She's not supposed to... "Oh, sorry Frisk. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

They nod wordlessly, scared that saying anything will give them away. They curl up in Toriel's - in Mom's - arms. It had been so long... Too long. They close their eyes, at peace.

For the first time since their death, Chara sleeps.

Frisk is disoriented in the morning, but Chara says they were hungry in the middle of the night and then just wanted to sleep with Mom. And, well, okay. They accept this, and go to get dressed for the day. This time they don a skirt, still absolutely shocked that they can wear whatever they want. It had been almost two months already, but they may never get over it.

Toriel is confused by the paper. "Surprise party". In Chara's handwriting. But it has been many years since her first children have died, so she doesn't cry. She simply thinks. A surprise party...

A couple of days pass, and then it is time.  It is the morning of their birthday.

 _Happy birthday, Frisk,_ Chara whispers in their head. Not very happy. They roll over. They're already crying. At school people talked about their birthdays all the time. They asked their parents, once.

 _"You? Get a birthday party?" their dad scoffed, "Why would you be worthy of a_ birthday party _? Until you make something of yourself, you give_ us  _gifts on your birthday."_

_"You ruined our lives," their mother snarled, "Why would we celebrate the day you were born, you little brat?"_

So they never asked again. It was easier. And the more they did for their parents the better. Until they did something wrong again. They were always doing wrong things.

They roll to their other side, the smell of bacon tickling their nose. Monster bacon. Toriel probably is preparing some sort of human fruit. Like a peach. They wonder if she will make a cake. They hope not.

Chara knows they do, though. Their parents didn't fully convince them they were worthless, just mostly. And Toriel is so full of love. After all, Chara was hateful and bitter when they fell and the Dreemurrs brought out the best in them.

Frisk wants to know more. So Chara obliges. A birthday present since they can't really make or buy one for Frisk.

They talk about Asriel. He cried more than Frisk does, but they are both very kind. Chara wanted to help everyone. Because it wasn't just the Dreemurrs that were nice; all the monsters were. Gerson didn't mind them hanging around his shop, as long as they didn't make a mess of things. One time they made a mess, and he chased them with his big hammer!

But he laughed, too, and Asgore made Chara apologize and help clean up and then everything was okay.

Mom and Dad - Toriel and Asgore - got along really well then. They had a lot of cute names for each other. Chara knitted Asgore the Mr. Dad Guy sweater he still has in his closet.

They picked up their body on an impulse. And then people attacked them. They were so angry that anyone would dare hurt their brother, so  _enraged_ , that they tried to kill everyone. But Asriel didn't let them.

They wish they didn't have to die. They wish Asriel could have just  _borrowed_ their SOUL, and then borrowed six more, and then they could have broken the barrier. Like Flowey did with the monster SOULs. Though they don't know if that's possible without at least one SOUL at first.

Most of all, they wish they could have SAVEd.

... _Sorry, Frisk._

It's okay. Frisk is used to dark thoughts, and now they've grown - or maybe are still growing - used to other people's memories. So it's okay.

Toriel's gentle voice interrupts the children's conversation. "Breakfast is ready, my child."

Frisk slowly pulls the blanket off of their head and looks at the smiling Toriel, holding a tray filled with breakfast foods. Bacon and eggs and chocolate milk and French toast. A big breakfast. A breakfast in bed.

They blink at Toriel, shocked and surprised. They sit up and she sets the tray on their lap.

"For your birthday," she says gently. She isn't sure why Frisk doesn't like their birthday, but this is not the first child she met who had an aversion to it. So she says only that, provides a present.

Because she is determined to make a happy birthday. Because there was a mysterious note that looked like Chara's curling handwriting and not Frisk's chicken scratch. Because Frisk is wonderful and they are worthwhile and she loves them so very, very much.

Frisk eats thoughtfully, almost watching Toriel even as she leaves.  Chara lets them sit in silent reverie, their thoughts on nothing in particular and everything at once.  After a while, they hear the doorbell ring.  Chara chugs the chocolate milk after they cram the last bit of food in their mouth, and then they rush downstairs.

Monster Kid is grinning at them at the door. They grin back.  "Hi," they say.

"Yoo!" exclaims MK, always enthusiastic the way they always are.  "You ready to hang out with me today?"  Their eyes widen slightly, and their friend laughs.  "Don't worry, I got permission from Miss Toriel already!"

They smile, glancing at Toriel, and then follow MK out.  They discovered that 'MK' WAS his name, not long after Asriel broke the barrier, but it didn't stand for 'Monster Kid'.  That would have been silly.  He refused to tell them what it did stand for, so they just called him MK.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know how obvious this is but this particular Frisk basically did a pacifist neutral and then a true pacifist run. they're getting info from other places, other realms... other fanfics ;) no plagiarism here but a lot of it is based off of other fics i've read.
> 
> MK is a he/they idk man i just don't want to fight with an overabundance of they's but the game uses 'they' for MK so he's both now.


End file.
